What do rubber tyres have to do with delicious food? The answer lies in the story of the Michelin brothers. French inventors Edouard and Andre Michelin created the Michelin tyre company in 1889 and transformed the travel industry. A few decades later, they began publishing a guide to highlight food in restaurants worth travelling for, which, of course, they'd need strong Michelin tyres to reach. Nowadays, the coveted Michelin star – an award given to only the world's finest restaurants – is one of the culinary world's highest accolades. But the rating system is somewhat shrouded in mystery.

橡胶轮胎与美味食物有什么关系？ 答案在于米其林兄弟的故事。 法国发明家爱德华（Edouard）和安德烈·米歇林（Andre Michelin）于1889年成立了米其林轮胎公司，并改变了旅游业。 几十年后，他们开始发布一份指南，以突出值得旅行的餐馆中的食物，当然，他们需要强大的米其林轮胎才能到达。 如今，令人垂涎的米其林之星（仅授予世界上最好的餐厅）是烹饪界最高的荣誉之一。 但是评级系统在某种程度上笼罩在神秘之中。

The Michelin Guide itself says their inspectors take into account five criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavours, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and consistency both across the entire menu and over time. But the inspectors are anonymous, and chefs are always kept in the dark about when they are going to visit. "We're never aware of the inspectors' visit," said Julia Sedefdjian, who became France's youngest Michelin-starred chef at the age of 21. "If they introduce themselves, it's only after they've eaten. And often – very often – they never introduce themselves at all."

《米其林指南》本身说，他们的检查员考虑了五个标准：成分的质量，口味的和谐，掌握技术的掌握，厨师的个性，通过其美食和整个菜单上的菜单和一致性表达。 但是检查员是匿名的，厨师何时要访问厨师。 朱莉娅·塞夫迪安（Julia Sedefdjian）说：“我们从来没有意识到检查员的访问，他在21岁时成为法国最年轻的米其林星级厨师。“如果他们自我介绍，只有在他们吃饭之后，他们就经常 - 经常 - 通常 - 他们从不介绍自己。”

And how much does the overall ambience of a restaurant play into the ratings? Ideas vary. Chef Maxime Bouttier, who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants across France for 15 years, thinks details like white tablecloths and background piano music can help to tick boxes for inspectors. Despite this, Bouttier's own restaurant doesn't have tablecloths, and his clientele listen to '80s rap while dining, yet his restaurant earnt a star less than a year after opening. The Michelin Guide says a Michelin star is awarded for the food on the plate, nothing else, and that the style and degree of formality have no bearing on the award whatsoever.

餐厅的整体氛围有多少？ 想法各不相同。 厨师Maxime Bouttier曾在法国各地的米其林星级餐厅工作了15年，他认为诸如白色桌布和背景钢琴音乐之类的细节可以帮助检查员打勾检查员。 尽管如此，Bouttier自己的餐厅没有桌布，他的客户在用餐时听着80年代的说唱，但他的餐厅在开业后不到一年就赚了一颗明星。 《米其林指南》说，米其林明星因盘子上的食物而被授予，别无其他，形式的风格和程度与该奖项无关。

Michelin stars can make or break a chef's culinary career. Earning one gives a chef more recognition, more table bookings and can allow them to raise their prices. But there's also the risk of losing one, and with that comes a lot of pressure. 

位米其林明星可以使厨师的烹饪生涯创造或破坏。 赚取的人会给厨师提供更多的认可，更多的餐桌预订，并可以使他们提高价格。 但是，也有失去一个的风险，随之而来的是很大的压力。