Climate forces chefs to modify their dish ingredients

Mexico City - AFP - From the disappearance of ants in Brazil, to the use of cocoa-free chocolate in Denmark, to the serving of fish caught in warm waters in Japan, extreme climate phenomena such as El Niño are forcing renowned chefs to adjust the ingredients of the dishes they prepare for their customers.

This climate phenomenon occurs every two to seven years, accompanied by droughts, floods, and record-breaking temperatures, which affect agriculture, fishing, and water supplies.

The United Nations has warned that the current cycle of the phenomenon may be exceptional in terms of its intensity.

Renowned chefs, including Denmark’s Rasmus Munk, Colombia’s Álvaro Clavijo, and Brazil’s Alex Atala, are preparing to adapt to the impact of this phenomenon on the availability, quality, and prices of ingredients.

However, this did not begin this year. Those who gathered at the “Abashua” culinary arts festival in Mexico have been adjusting their menus for years to cope with extreme climate events.

Atala told the Associated Press, “Over the past three years, I have been preparing an annual menu that I constantly revise, almost every week, due to the unavailability of certain products.”

He noted the scarcity of ants this year, explaining that they are now available “only for customers who request to taste them.”

His restaurant, D.O.M., in São Paulo, Brazil, serves traditional indigenous dishes with a new twist, using ingredients sourced from remote communities in the Amazon.