(Paris) The Michelin guide, the world gastronomic bible, announced on Friday that it was suspending its activities in Russia because of the war in Ukraine, a year after devoting a gastronomy inspired by the cuisines of the former Soviet empire.
Posted at 10:49 a.m.
The decision to withdraw has a symbolic value: the presentation last October, for the first time, of stars to nine restaurants in Moscow was an international coronation of Russian gastronomy, long disdained by refined palates.
“Given the gravity of the current crisis, the Michelin guide teams have taken the decision to suspend all restaurant recommendation activity in Russia,” the red guide said in a statement.
“We have chosen not to promote the Moscow destination”, underlines the guide. There will be no update of the Moscow selection this year, and publications relating to the restaurants of the Moscow selection on the networks and on the application will also be suspended.
Controversial Borsch
When entering the Russian market a year ago, the Michelin guide listed among the traditional Russian dishes “borsch”, which angered Ukrainians who consider this soup made from beets and cabbage as part of their national DNA and which they are seeking to have listed as UNESCO’s intangible world heritage.
Gastronomic experts have attributed the rise of Russian gastronomy to the embargo on European fresh produce which came into force in 2014, after the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the outbreak of armed conflict in the eastern Ukraine with Moscow-sponsored pro-Russian separatists.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 and is waging war across the country by shelling major cities.
More than 1.2 million people have already fled the country, according to the UN.