Doesn’t Michelin sell tyres? What are they doing with food?
Jay Fai, Michelin star-awarded Thai street food chef
A “Michelin Star” has widely become a synonym for fine dining quality around the world. The accolade is awarded by the (commercial) Michelin Guide as their rating system for the quality of restaurants. It originates from France where the star rating system was introduced in 1926. The system which awards up to three stars has subsequently been expanded outside its country of origin. In 2018, more than 2700 stars were awarded, although the global notion is far from a reality. The guide currently covers 26 countries. As shown in this cartogram of the number of Michelin Star restaurants, there is a large concentration in (Western) Europe. Outside Europe, Japan, and the USA very few places have received similar prominent recognition (so far). The high society of dining is a very western-centric story of food that hardly captures the diversity of food experiences that this world has to offer.
