南方都市报|米其林指南在中国为何“水土不服”

_本文原题：米其林指南在中国为何“水土不服”

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上周二，
米其林广州指南公布了它选出的
2020星级餐厅。
两家餐厅获得二星，
十家获一星。
一星和二星各有一家新餐厅上榜，其中御宝轩从一星升到两星。
榜单一经公布，大家争论不休。
从2007年发布首份东京篇算起，这份享誉世界的美食指南登陆亚洲已经13年。五年前，米其林指南正式进入中国，并且在三年前推出广州版。
尽管一直是大众焦点，但米其林指南进入中国后，并没获得大多数消费者的认可，更别说名厨和老饕。
源于推动汽车旅行，成于星级打分系统
1900年，这本红皮指南由同名法国轮胎制造商首次出版，当时法国只有不到3000辆汽车，但汽车旅游方兴未艾。米其林公司的创办人安德鲁和爱德华·米其林两兄弟十分看好汽车旅行的发展前景，决定出版一本旅游指南，鼓励车主们多出门，好提振他们的轮胎生意。
一开始这些旅游手册是免费分发的，内容包括地图，换轮胎指南，沿途的机修店和酒店清单。首轮印发的35000册大获成功后，比利时、德国、葡萄牙和西班牙的版本也相继推出。 1920年，米其林引入餐厅榜单，很快它开始派出自己的秘密观察家。
到了20世纪30年代，米其林推出了带星级的打分系统，这一具有高度竞争性的模式是促成这份指南广为人知的主要因素。
万众睢睢中出发，饱受诟病中前行
从一开始，人们就对米其林指南成为世界了解中国美食的窗口而满怀期待。然而人们发现，在2016年上海成为首个米其林发布星级指南的城市时，上榜的约100家餐厅中，唯一一家三星餐厅唐阁并非沪菜餐厅，而是粤菜餐厅。
2018年，首份米其林广州指南颁布， 63家上榜餐厅中，没有一家获得两星或三星。八家一星餐厅中有四家都位于消费不菲的豪华酒店。
毫不意外，在这座中国美食之都，米其林被争议淹没。 “法国人不懂中国食物” ， “这是一份贵食指南，不是美食指南” ，种种批评不一而足。
大部分亲身试验米其林餐厅的消费者和老饕认为，这些星级餐厅的食物水准虽高于平均，但鲜有能代表当地风味者。
2019年，首份米其林北京指南同样差评如潮，由于上榜的三星餐厅中，没有一家提供传统的中国北方食物，有人指责它暗含着西方文化优越感。
“水土不服”或由于文化差异及缺乏独立性
为何米其林来华后，总呈现“水土不服”？一些人倾向归因于文化差异。毕竟大多数中国消费者在欧洲和其他西方国家旅游时，仍会信任米其林推荐的餐厅。
一些人则诟病米其林餐厅接受了太多捐助，影响其独立性。例如，米其林泰国版本主要由当地旅游局资助。而米其林香港则曾接受包括雀巢和依云在内的一众企业的款项。
法国轮胎能够贴合中国的公路，但没能贴合中国美食爱好者的品位。至少目前没有。注：部分资料编译自法新社、南华早报和Quartz杂志。CFP供图
“The French Will Not Understand” —— A Brief History of Michelin Guide in China
This Tuesday ，Michelin Guide to Guangzhou announced its 2020 stars.
Two restaurants got two stars and 10 received one ，with one restaurant in each category appearing there for the first time. Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine moved up from the one-star to two-star category this year.
It is the third year of the world-renown food guide landing in Guangzhou ，the fifth year in China ，and the thirteenth year in Asia since its first Tokyo version in 2007. 分页标题
Though always under the spotlight ，the Michelin guide has never gained recognitions from the majority of customers since its entry to China ，let alone chefs and foodies.
The red-covered guide is published by the French tyre manufacturer of the same name. It was first published in France in 1900 ，when there were fewer than 3 ， 000 automobiles on the roads but the prospects for car travel were promising. To encourage motorists to take to the road and so boost their tyre-manufacturing business ，brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin decided to print a travel guide.
At first distributed for free ，it included maps ，a how-to on changing tyres ，and lists of mechanics and hotels along the route. The first run of 35 ， 000 copies was such a success that guides for Belgium ，Germany ，Portugal and Spain followed. Michelin introduced restaurant listings in 1920. Soon after it started sending out undercover inspectors.
In the early 1930s came the ratings via a star hierarchy that developed into the highly competitive formula for which the guide is perhaps best known today.
Undoutedly ，at first the Michelin guide is expected to introduce the Chinese cuisines to the world. However ，when Shanghai got its first stars in 2016 ，the only one to get the coveted three stars—awarded to only about 100 restaurants—was T’ang Court. The restaurant serves Cantonese food rather than local Shanghainese cuisine.
In 2018 ，Michelin announced Guangzhou stars for the first time. 63 restaurants were listed ，none of which got two or three stars.Four out of the eight restaurants which got one star ，are in luxury hotels ，and expensive.
Unsurprisingly ，the Michelin was overwhelmed with controversies in the city known as serving one of the best cuisines in China： “The French don’t understand the Chinese food” ，“It’s a guide to expensive food ，not good one” …
Some customers and foodies decided to get the first-hand experience ，and most concluded that the Michelin stars are above average but rarely representative of the local cuisines.
Local reaction to the first Michelin Beijing guide in 2019 was almost entirely negative ，even accusing it of “cultural superiority” ，partly because none of the top three awardees serve traditional northern food.
Why Michelin appears to be so ignorant of the Chinese cuisines？ Some are inclined to blame the cultural differences for it. After all ，most Chinese users still trust Michelin for recommendations when travelling in Europe and other Western countries.
Others accuse Michelin of accepting too much sponsorship and question its independency. For instance ，its Thailand edition was heavily backed by the country’s tourism authority. In Hong Kong ，funding for Michelin guide was boosted by contributions from a slew of corporate sponsors ，including Evian and Nespresso.
【南方都市报|米其林指南在中国为何“水土不服”】The French tyres can grip the roads in China ，but not the Chinese food lovers…yet. 分页标题