At Mexico’s Apapaxoa festival, chefs said erratic weather is reshaping menus: Brazilian ants are now available only on request, and Japanese cooks are adapting to a new seafood selection. UN experts forecast an exceptionally strong El Niño cycle.
Brazilian chef Alex Atala said he has revised his annual menu almost weekly for the past three years because ingredients are unavailable; floods or wildfires can delay deliveries until fresh food spoils. Spanish chef Quique Dacosta said torrential rain near Valencia in 2024 killed nearly 250 people and decimated vineyards, orange groves and Albufera rice plots. Stormy weather is also prompting diners to cancel reservations.
At Copenhagen’s Alchemist, Rasmus Munk said a cocoa-free chocolate alternative is made from brewer’s spent grain, which he described as a local substitute as the cocoa market faces pressure. In Bogotá, Alvaro Clavijo said cacao pulp and Andean tubers are already running low; his greatest concern is water, after rationing began to affect restaurants during a severe 2024 drought.
