Not many will be able to comprehend what the “Michelin Star” really stands for. It is more than what it actually says. The“Michelin Star” concept has not only been shaping our view of the culinary world but also, more importantly, defining the meticulous and lavish labour of love that goes into heavenly cooking skills.

There are only a few chefs in the world who have the unmatched skills and mastery over what they cook. The art of cooking has become the culinary Holy Grail for aspiring chefs across the world.

A century or so ago, two brothers, Édouard Michelin and André Michelin, had started a rubber factory in Clermont-Ferrand in France. It is said that the Michelins wanted to sell more tyres, and one prudent way of doing so was to get people to drive more. Therefore, what the Michelins did was they created the Michelin Guide in 1889. The first copies of the Michelin guidebooks were freely distributed to the motorists.

This guide was a wealth of information for the motorists because it contained maps, important locations of hotels, the address of mechanics and instructions on tyre repair and replacement.

But one might be interested to know why André decided to put a price on the Michelin Guide because he feared thatit was beingmisused like a piece of trash. He started to charge a price for the copies after he saw a merchant usingthe Michelin guides to support his workbench instead of a piece of wood. Michelin was totally convinced by what we may call the common sense principle that people by nature do not attach importance to anything that is available for free.

The restaurant listings in the Michelin Guide attracted a lot of attention. This was the turning point. The Michelin Guide did not just stick to information related to motor cars, petrol stations and so on, but, more surprisingly, it also placed a culinary hallmark on the hospitality landscape.

The two brothers, Édouard and André, hired food critics and food inspectors and had them visit the restaurants incognito.And the concept of giving the Michelin Star to the chefs and restaurants across Europe and subsequently around the world had begun.

The Michelin has up to three stars. One star marks a very good restaurant; two stars indicatesa restaurant has excellent cooking and is worth a detour; and three stars means the restaurant has exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.

This is exactly how the Michelin Star works when figuring out the level of culinary excellence on the part of chefs and restaurants.