The everyday baguette. In Paris it appears at every meal. As tartine – slathered with fresh Normandy butter and jam at breakfast or the classic jambon beurre — stuffed with ham and butter at lunch. And a basket of sliced baguette with every meal — whether it’s an omelette or a steak frites. It is truly the “daily bread”.

Enter the instagram tourist. Now suddenly, one’s trip to Paris is unfulfilled unless you find the “best baguette”. Is it at Mamiche, on rue Chateau D’eau? Or the famous Stohrer on rue Montorgueil? Perhaps it’s our own Boulangerie Utopie, underneath our apartment. These all have long lines of mostly (American) tourists chattering away.

All these foreign tourists are lined up for what is, laughably, the most ubiquitous foodstuff in France.

Why? Do they think only five bakeries in Paris make the “best baguette?”

I went to each of those bakeries. They make fine baguettes with minor differences. But they’re not that different from the thousand other boulangeries in Paris.

The classic baguette, called tradition, is made with the simple ingredients of flour, salt, yeast and water. It used to be price regulated but still only costs €1.30 any place in Paris. Anything other variation (Parisien, or sourdough or grain) is more. The cheaper baguette normale is the industrial cousin sold in supermarkets.

Listen, you may have preferences. There are some differences in the crustiness, the ratio of crust to crumb, even the shape. But even grocery store baguettes in Paris are just fine.

Sometimes a baguette is just a baguette.

So relax people, enjoy the food and enjoy the city. Order a baguette tradition at any boulangerie that strikes your fancy. Pair it with a great Normandy butter (or frankly any French butter) or a little wedge of cheese. Brillât Savarin cheese on a fresh baguette makes me dream of the hereafter. Experiment a little and enjoy the moment. And don’t waste your time lining up.