PARIS (AP) — French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb has announced that Paul Bocuse, the world-famous master of French cuisine, has died at the age of 91.

Collomb tweeted Saturday that "Mister Paul was France. Simplicity and generosity. Excellence and art de vivre."

Bocuse held a three-star Michelin rating since 1965 on his restaurant outside the eastern French city of Lyon. He also parlayed his business and cooking skills into a globe-spanning gastronomic empire.