Chef from the Amazon rejects imposed vegan menu for dinner with Prince William

RIO DE JANEIRO — When he learned he would be cooking for an heir to the British throne, Brazilian chef Saulo Jennings decided he wanted to highlight the main ingredient from the Amazon: arapaima, a giant, meaty fish from the region’s rivers.

Heir Prince William will host an Earthshot Prize awards ceremony for 700 guests in early November in Rio de Janeiro — his first visit to Brazil. Creating the canapés seemed like the perfect job for Jennings, a chef acclaimed for using sustainable ingredients from the Amazon rainforest.

But there was one condition: the menu needed to be 100% vegan, according to the chef who was informed by the Earthshot organization.

At first convinced he had gotten it wrong, Jennings said he even proposed including just one vegan option on the menu. However, when he learned that he could not use any of the Amazonian fish species central to his cuisine and the region’s food culture, he was offended.

“It’s like asking Iron Maiden to play jazz,” Jennings said in an interview Friday. “It was a lack of respect for local cuisine and our gastronomic tradition.”

After insistence from the museum that will host the event, the chef stated that he created a vegan menu inspired by Amazonian ingredients such as cassava, jambu and Brazil nuts. Still, negotiations with the organizers ended up falling apart, and Jennings was removed from his role as head of the event, scheduled for November 5th.

“I have nothing against vegans or the British,” he said. “But I don’t want to abandon my culinary mission.”

The chef’s indignation gained prominence in the Brazilian press, with many interpreting the menu order as a disregard for the rich Amazonian gastronomic tradition, precisely in the region that will host the next United Nations climate conference, in which William, heads of state, scientists and policymakers will participate.

Jennings also said he was surprised. He had cooked without any problems for the coronation ceremony of King Charles III, William’s father, at the British Embassy in Brasilia.

“I prepared fish and chips, but with pirarucu”, he said.

The controversy over the menu also raised debates about what really is considered sustainable eating, at a time when consumers are showing increasing environmental concern and brands are seeking to associate their products with socio-environmental responsibility.

A spokesman for William declined to comment on the case. But a person close to the climactic event, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the prince was not involved in decisions about the menu.

According to this source, the Earthshot Prize event — which awards millions of dollars to environmental projects — had requested vegetarian, not vegan, food as part of the organization’s sustainability commitment. The source further stated that Jennings was not selected for budgetary reasons, not because of resistance to preparing a fish-free menu.

While the vegetarian menu excludes meat and fish, the vegan diet eliminates all products of animal origin, including milk, cheese and honey.

Jennings has built his career advocating that true sustainability is rooted in the traditional culinary techniques practiced for generations by the indigenous people of the Amazon.

“We eat what the forest gives us, what the rivers offer us,” said the chef, who serves as a UN gastronomy ambassador. “Some days, we eat fish. Other days, we eat nuts and açaí. This is also sustainable.”

Environmentalists highlight that one of the most effective ways to contain the destruction of the Amazon is to encourage the sustainable use of its resources, such as collecting Brazil nuts and controlled fishing for native species.

The arapaima is considered an example of success in this model. A prehistoric species that can reach 200 kilos, it was on the verge of extinction a few decades ago due to predatory fishing. But, in recent years, community projects in the Amazon have managed to control exploitation and create sustainable production chains. Responsibly caught fish is sold to chefs like Jennings, who transforms it into sophisticated dishes served in his three restaurants in Brazil.

In the coming weeks, Jennings will have another chance to showcase his Amazonian cuisine. He was hired to cook for the Norwegian and Chinese delegations during the climate conference.

And, at the request of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the chef will also be responsible for a dinner for heads of state, he said.

What will be on the menu?

“With all due respect,” he replied, “there will be fish.”