During its launch, the Minister of Tourism and Sports of Argentina, Matías Lammens, said that despite the fact that there was a confidentiality commitment until July 25, the news was filtering among chefs and the rest of the gastronomic industry, many local cooking stars who had migrated to other countries in search of conquering their star, began to call and ask, showing their interest in opening a proposal in their country, which would allow them to get a star, now at home.
He also gave the example of San Francisco, where, according to the guide’s studies, one year after arriving there, some 4,000 jobs had been created.
The Michelin guide comes first to Buenos Aires -which with this impulse aspires to become, according to the minister, the “gastronomic capital of Latin America”- and to Mendoza, a province that has become a world destination for those travelers who seek experiences around wine in the place where it is produced.
(You can read: The Colombian who added a green star to his Michelin star, in Italy).
Surrounded by exuberant landscapes, wineries like Catena Zapata have turned their homes into true tourist destinations, with luxury experiences of all kinds that transcend winemaking and food, so much so that they lead another of the world’s great categorizations, that of the 50 Best Wineries in the World to visit, by 50 Best (by the William Reed organization).
For this reason, Michelin’s French communications director, Elisabeth Boucher-Anselin, stated that “they were the obvious destinations within Argentina”, although she also added that it was a start.
Galas like this one from Spain and Portugal will begin to live in Argentina from November 24, 2023.
On the other hand, Boucher-Anselin affirmed that “a star in Buenos Aires is worth the same as a star in Tokyo or France”, with this he means that the level of demand when evaluating the different restaurants is the same. The famous international inspectors of the Michelin Guide have the task of making anonymous visits (more than one to each site) that allow them to determine if a restaurant has one, two or three stars.
The criteria, according to Boucher-Anselin, are five. “The first criterion is the quality of the product and ingredients,” he explained. The second is mastery of culinary techniques. Thirdly, the harmony of the flavors and their combination on the plate. Fourth: the chef’s personality, as he expresses it in his kitchen, in the food they want to share. And fifth, consistency, throughout the menu and also throughout the year, so that quality is maintained from January to December.”
The Michelin representative also explained that the person who awards the star is not a single person. “There are several inspectors who are on the ground and to award each star several must coincide. It couldn’t be just one person, because it could be biased and unfair.”
(Also: You can remember the origin of the Michelin Stars, in History of a brand).
When asked by the press about the concern that a European criterion is applied when evaluating techniques or culinary forms of Latin American essence, the French woman stated:
The Frenchwoman affirmed that for this arrival in Argentina the field work has been more than a year of work, in search of the culinary jewels of Buenos Aires and Mendoza. “There is an investigation work before arriving, it takes years scouting cities, we see the establishments that have been there for many years and those that have opened more recently, we also see what you are doing as journalists, as media. Of course some reviews are done in advance, but there are times when you think you have to try something new, because a young chef who worked for this other one decided to open her new place. So we’re looking for little gems, gems to be found, and speaking, word of mouth. The first customers of a restaurant are the locals, 95 percent of the customers of a restaurant are locals and it is also very important to listen to them, ask for advice on the ground, on the spot and have the time to do the job correctly”:
The Michelin guide is going to be digital, it will be free, from an application open to everyone. “We are trying to reach international travelers for whom it is important to have all the world’s information in one place,” Boucher-Anselin concluded.
