South African Restaurants and Global Michelin-Starred Restaurants: A Comparison of Cuisine Types

Abstract

Many restaurants around the world claim to have a specific cuisine. Cuisine, representing a style of cooking, can be attached to a specific geographical location, cultural background or “technical” way of preparing food. A specific cuisine can be diffused by the movement of people and the influence of social elite, among other factors. The Michelin Guide is seen as the leading restaurant guide and represents a benchmark for restaurant trends around the world. Each country has its own heritage of cuisines, influenced by its history and by external factors (such as immigration). South African cuisines also show these internal and external influences. This article makes a comparison between the variety and types of cuisine in South Africa and Michelin Guide restaurants, using data from the Eat Out website for South Africa and the official Michelin Guide website for Michelin Guide restaurants. Results show a good match between restaurants on the two websites as regards a geo-cultural perspective of types of cuisine, and that South African restaurants are in line with general global trends in restaurant cuisines.

Keywords: Michelin Guide, Restaurant, South Africa, Cuisine, Food

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