One of the first restaurants in Latin America to earn three Michelin stars adapts its menus to seasonal produce, using practical, inventive solutions to cope with the growing climate volatility.
Built around a concept of seasonal cuisine, closely tied to rainfall and the natural rhythms of the climate, Tuju occupies a three-storey building in São Paulo, the Brazilian metropolis that is home to around 12 million people. Despite the city's size, meticulous attention to detail is the rule here.
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The key ingredient on the menu is seasonality, which shapes every element of each dish. Here, it is the rain, or sometimes its absence, that dictates what is served.
"Here in São Paulo, there are times of year when, day after day, the weather brings us certain ingredients; there are transitional seasons, like the one we are in now; and then suddenly we have a time of year in São Paulo when 60 days go by without rain. Each of these patterns offers different products and possibilities," chef Ivan Ralston tells AFP.
The restaurant is run by chef Ivan Ralston and his partner, gastronomic researcher Katherina Cordas, who carefully think through every dish they serve. Cooking here is treated as an art, combined with improvisation and a strong capacity to adapt.
"By now, São Paulo should already be dry. Normally, July and August are dry months, but it still hasn't dried out. We've had occasional rain. This is linked to Super El Niño, which has given us a much longer mushroom season; it has lasted almost twice as long. So you always have to stay alert and adapt. In the end, it's not a fixed situation that will stay the same forever," the chef adds.
The establishment offers (source in Portuguese) tasting menus that change according to the weather conditions and rainfall patterns, which are becoming increasingly irregular in São Paulo because of global warming.
"For a 12-course tasting, our menus change every three months, so that each ingredient can be showcased at its absolute peak in terms of flavour, texture, provenance and environmental responsibility," the restaurant explains.
Three Michelin stars
In April, the restaurant secured its third Michelin star, alongside another São Paulo venue, Evvai, making the two establishments the first in Latin America to receive this culinary distinction.
The Michelin Guide (source in Portuguese) describes the venue as "a truly unique experience", and notes that the chef "draws on his experience to combine Brazilian seasonal products and flavours, particularly from São Paulo, with the most contemporary techniques".
Tuju offers four menus over the course of the year: "Humidity", "Rain", "Wind" and "Drought", which are not tied to fixed dates.
"Each season, with its distinctive climatic characteristics of humidity, rain, wind and drought, shapes an entirely new tasting menu!" the guide notes.
This award-winning gastronomic experience is not, however, within everyone's reach. Reservations must be made months in advance, and that is before mentioning the price: menus cost up to 1,650 reais, around 277 euros.
"It's a restaurant for celebrating. It's not the sort of place you come to every day just to eat and go home; it's for a special occasion," says co-owner Katherina Cordas, speaking to AFP.
