Janaína Rueda is elected best chef in Latin America

Chef Janaína Rueda, from São Paulo, owner of the restaurant A Casa do Porco and responsible for the Dona Onça bar, as well as other gastronomic ventures, was elected this Thursday (5) the best female chef in Latin America by Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, an award that this year reaches its tenth edition.

Born in São Paulo in a slum in Brás, Janaína is a staunch defender of a “food kitchen” fine dining accessible”, the democratization of haute cuisine and the use of legitimately Brazilian ingredients, without waste. The restaurant A Casa do Porco, which she runs alongside chef Jefferson Rueda, was voted the 12th best in the world by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and is the best-positioned Brazilian restaurant on the list.

In addition to Casa do Porco and Bar Dona Onça, Janaína also runs the Hot Pork hot dog kiosk, the Merenda da Cidade snack bar, the artisanal slaughterhouse Porco Real and Sorveteria do Centro, all in the capital São Paulo, with the exception of the slaughterhouse , located in the interior of the state. Companies that she runs in accordance with her mission to improve and transform the diet of the Brazilian population, offering quality artisanal products at affordable prices.

“To stand alongside a long list of powerful women who represent the change we want to see in the industry is an incredible honor. As always, I am grateful for the platform that 50 Best offers to promote the importance of inclusion, better living conditions and adequate nutritional education. We all have a role to play in helping each other prosper”, said the chef, in an official statement about the award, which has already recognized the work of other female professionals, such as Manu Buffara from Curitiba, in 2022, and Peruvian Pía León, in 2018.

“ Janaína Rueda has long been not only an exceptional chef, but also a true spokesperson for social gastronomy with an unwavering commitment to serving her community. As we applaud her extraordinary career, we celebrate a decade of remarkable achievements by the region’s talented chefs who are propelling gastronomy into the next era,” said William Drew, content director of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, about the chef’s achievement.

Janaína will be honored in an in-person ceremony, when she receives the award in hand, on November 28th, in Rio de Janeiro. Two other categories will be announced before the award date: Icon Award, which recognizes highly influential cooks, on October 23rd; and the American Express One To Watch Award, given to contemporary cuisine revelations, on November 6th. The list of restaurants between 51st and 100th place in Latin America will be released on November 16th.