- Taiwan questions two in probe into Hezbollah pagers
- Viral Korean Olympic shooter scores first acting role as assassin
- Farrell set for 'challenge' of downing Bordeaux in Top 14
- Springbok Etzebeth diverts attention from looming caps record
- Inter on a high ahead of Milan derby as Napoli face Juve test
- Bank of Japan leaves key interest rate unchanged
- Arnold quits after six years in charge of Australia
- Asian markets track Wall Street record to extend global rally
- Guirassy and Anton to return to Stuttgart with new side Dortmund
- Marseille bidding to continue 'almost perfect' Ligue 1 start
- Arnold quits as coach of Australia men's football team
- Harris and Oprah hold star-studded US election rally
- Allies to remember failed WWII parachute operation
- Perez leading new-look Villarreal charge against leaders Barca
- Man City face Arsenal in Premier League title showdown, Postecoglou under pressure
- Fake celebrity endorsements, snubs plague US presidential race
- Documentary brings Argentine 'death flights' to the big screen
- Strike shows challenge to Boeing 'reset' of labor relations
- World leaders to gather at UN as crises grow and conflicts rage
- How plastic pollution poses challenge for Canada marine conservation
- Scientists track plastic waste in pristine Canada marine park
- South Africa's Buhai grabs LPGA Queen City lead
- Japan inflation firms to 2.8% ahead of BoJ rate decision
- Russia's Kadyrov accuses Musk of 'remotely disabling' his Cybertruck
- Titan sub had to abort a dive days before fatal implosion: testimony
- Ohtani makes MLB history with first 50-homer, 50-steal season
- Ohtani eyes MLB history after surpassing 50 stolen bases, 49 homers
- Ohtani eyes MLB history after surpassing 50 stolen bases
- Barca downed by Monaco as Arsenal held in Champions League stalemate
- Head's 'good night at office' after century seals win over England
- Dubois seeks legitimacy with Joshua scalp
- Rate cut could lift consumer spirits before US elections
- Last-gasp Gimenez strike sends Atletico past Leipzig
- Barca stumble at Monaco after early red card
- Raya heroics save Arsenal in Champions League opener at Atalanta
- Cathay Airbus engine fire linked to cleaning: EU regulator
- Guardians beat Twins to secure MLB playoff berth
- Jihadist attack in Mali capital killed more than 70: security sources
- Alonso hails 'efficient' Leverkusen after Feyenoord rout
- Head's hundred seals Australia win over England in 1st ODI
- Ex-Man United striker Anthony Martial joins AEK Athens
- NFL unbeatens meet as Texans visit Vikings, Steelers host Chargers
- Head's hundred seals Australia win over England in 1st ODI after Labuschagne strikes
- Dream debut for Wirtz as Leverkusen thump dire Feyenoord
- Myanmar flood death toll climbs to 293: state media
- Israel army says West Bank air strike kills 4 militants
- LIV golfers get green light for US Ryder Cup team, PGA Championship
- US accuses social media giants of 'vast surveillance'
- Ten Hag to bed Hojlund, Mount in carefully when they return for Man Utd
- Breaking bad as McIlroy endures 'weird' day
Michelin Guide returns to celebrate 'resilient' French food scene
The Michelin Guide launches its 2022 edition on Tuesday, vowing to celebrate the diversity of French cooking and the industry's resilience after two challenging years caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Expected each year with apprehension by chefs and gourmets, the famous red book is being unveiled in Cognac in southwest France, the first time in its 122 years the ceremony has taken place outside Paris.
"The 2022 edition is a very fine vintage which reflects the diversity of cuisines that can be found in France," the guide's director Gwendal Poullennec told AFP.
"But it will also make room for a new generation of chefs who have taken the risk of embarking on this journey in spite of the challenging context," he said.
"Despite the crisis, the profession has shown great resilience. It was an opportunity for professionals to reinvent themselves, to go further, and that's what we want to support."
Last year's ceremony, in the midst of a months-long shutdown caused by the pandemic, was a low-key affair with only one chef -- Alexandre Mazzia -- promoted to three stars, the highest distinction.
While Poullennec said the judges' criteria remained the same, there was an increased focus on more minimalist, sustainably sourced restaurants that have come to dominate the food scene.
- Remaining relevant -
Controversies have long swirled around the guidebook and the pressure it places on chefs.
In 2020, Michelin shocked foodies by downgrading the Auberge du Pont de Collonges -- the oldest three-starred restaurant in the world -- following the death of legendary chef, Paul Bocuse.
A year earlier, Marc Veyrat became the first to sue the guidebook, after losing the third star of his Alps restaurant La Maison des Bois just a year after it was awarded.
He lost the case and said he never again wants to see a Michelin inspector in his restaurants.
Poullennec said demotions were vital if the guidebook was to "remain relevant to customers."
Overall, however, the French food scene is in top form.
After a long period during which French restaurants were accused of growing stale and lazy, the past 15 years have seen an influx of young chefs more open to global influences and new approaches, said Paris-based food writer Lindsey Tramuta.
The Michelin Guide has sometimes struggled to keep up, she added.
"When you have something as structured as Michelin, it is very tricky to incorporate all the things that are happening in the food scene -- things that are high-calibre, but maybe aren't as formal," she said, adding that female chefs remained poorly represented.
"But Michelin is still very important for chefs and owners. If it motivates their kitchen staff and team, and brings more diners and curiosity, then it has value."
Created in 1900 by tyre manufacturers Andre and Edouard Michelin as a guide for motorists, it now has editions across Europe, Asia, North and South America.
In March, it announced it was suspending operations in Russia due to the war, just a few months after launching its first guide in Moscow.
F.Pavlenko--BTB