Awarding one star, two stars ,or even the coveted more than two stars to restaurants around the world,

the Michelin guide is the number one food recommendation source for the tens of people who can afford to eat at the restaurants,

the rest of us watch documentary spouts.

But how do they figure out what food tastes the best to eat with your mouth?

Well, that's the job of Michelin inspectors.

There are two main types of professional eaters, food critics and Joey Chestnut, and both types are generally known to the public.

For example, here's Pete Wells, the head food critic for the New York Times.

Here's Tom Sietsema, the Washington Post's food critic and here are the unwashed, uncultured masses who write for Yelp.

But what sets the Michelin guide apart?

Other than the fact that its mascot looks like a D-list Spiderman villain is that like Spider Man, nobody knows the Michelin inspectors true identities.

And also like Spider Man, if their real names are discovered, everyone they love will be brutally murdered by a mechanical octopus.

Naturally, there isn't a ton of information out there about Michelin inspectors,

but by reading the rare interviews they've given over the years, the 2004 book "L'Inspecteur se met à table," written by a rogue inspector

and using archive.org to look at Michelin's now defunct website, famouslyanonymous.com,

that's mostly just broken adobe flash videos,

I was able to piece together enough information to distract you from the work you're supposed to be doing for the next four minutes.

So there are about 90 Michelin inspectors around the world.

15 are in France, 10 are in the United States ,and the other 65 are spread amongst these 21 cities and countries.

All Michelin inspectors must have a degree in either hospitality, hotel management, or cooking,

plus at least five years of experience in their field.

But despite what crissangeluniversity.net promised me, a degree doesn't necessarily mean you get the job.

When Michelin first recruited inspectors for their New York guide, only 0.2 percent of applicants successfully became Michelin inspectors.

After interviews and test meals with senior inspectors, trainees go through a six month program in France,

a second training session in a different European country, and an apprenticeship in their region as they're trained to judge restaurants based on Michelin's five criteria,

quality of products, personality of chef reflected in dining experience, value for money, consistency between visits, and most importantly,

do it taste yummy in your tummy,

which they call mastery of flavor and cooking technique.

Now, the core of how Michelin inspectors stay under the radar is relatively simple.

They eat at a restaurant and they make sure, and this is key, not to tell anyone that they're a Michelin inspector.

Tables are always booked under a fake name,

and beforehand, the inspector does a research to figure out what to wear to blend in,

and will sometimes even bring a decoy date to avoid suspicion if it's a restaurant mainly frequented by couples.

In existing interviews,

several inspectors specifically use the word chameleon when explaining how they're trained to act in a restaurant.

Basically, they're quiet, blend into the background, and mostly eat locusts and mantids.

While most inspectors tell their spouse, Michelin advises them not to tell friends and even parents,

who Michelin worries may be prone to boast about how their kids secretly eat potatoes for a tire company.

One inspector said, if she's asked, she just tells people she works in publishing.

Even most top executives at Michelin, including the Michelin man himself, have never met an inspector.

But let's say you really want to catch an inspector either because you're a restaurateur or because you just like ruining things.

There are a number of clues to look for.

First, at the restaurant, the inspector will always order the maximum number of courses offered.

Typically, that's an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert, and they're required to finish everything on their plate.

Or in the case of really annoying restaurants, finish everything on their weird levitating pillow thing.

It's up to the inspectors what they order,

but they tend to pick dishes that can "test a number of quality ingredients" with particular focus on any dish consider the chef's specialty.

Michelin inspectors apparently never order salads or soups as they're seen as too simple.

Because the tables are always booked under a fake name,

when the time comes to pony up, some waiters will check the name on the credit card against the reservation name.

A mismatch means they're either a Michelin inspector or they're committing credit card fraud.

Another thing to keep an eye out for is notes.

Notes are often frantically scribbled in the bathroom.

Although, now that doomscrolling is an established part of table etiquette, inspectors will sometimes take notes on their phone when waiters are away

and occasionally even snap poorly framed pictures of rigatoni for the Michelin guy's Twitter feed.

If for some reason, you're so committed to uncovering Michelin inspectors that you don't mind some light stalking.

You may glean insight from where they're staying and how often they're going out.

Inspectors typically travel three weeks out of every month,

staying in a different hotel every night as the guide also recommends accommodations in eating a full meal at two restaurants a day.

And if you're really trying to lure inspectors in, you have two additional options, make the food much better or much worse.

While restaurants set to stay at the same rating typically get only one visit every 12 to 18 months,

any restaurant poised to either gain or lose a star gets visited by two additional inspectors in order to confirm the change is deserved.

Everything is then hashed out in the yearly star meetings before the year's guide is finally published

and inspectors can start working off the pounds with their Michelin paid gym memberships.

So how is it that when you try to make something nice, you end up with this while the Michelin starred restaurants make this.

Well, notwithstanding a few minor factors that aren't convenient for this ad read, it's because of the equipment they use,

specifically in the case of Three Mission Star Restaurant, Le Bernardin, It's because they use Made In Cookware.

They sent me a few of their pots and pans, and wow, I clearly had no idea what good cookware was before this.

The heat is distributed evenly.

The weight is just perfect and the nonstick pan is the most non sticky of any I've ever used.

Made In's focus is simple.

They source the absolute best cookware and sell it directly to you without the markup.

You know everything they sell will be fantastic and that it will last for life.

So rather than buying a cheap pan that you'll have to replace in a year, invest in your kitchen with Made In.

You'll see why their products are quickly filling up my cabinets.

Right now, Made In is offering HAI viewers 15% off their first order.

The largest discount they offer anywhere.

So click the button on screen or head to the link in the description and use the code half to upgrade your cookware today.