Paris is all about food, and to learn more about this gastronomic capital I recently ventured on a series of guided foodie walks. Paris’ food culture is persevering in its traditions while also evolving, as food does throughout the world.

Take the baguette, the iconic long, crusty loaf of bread beloved by one and all. It’s such a part of the psyche and history of France — the scarcity and high price of bread fueled the French revolution in 1789.

After World War II came food industrialization, and though welcomed by consumers, its success came at the detriment of the products. In 1993, a set of laws determined the content of a baguette (wheat flour, water, salt and yeast) and its price. The Grand Prix de la Baguette de la Tradition began in 1993, too, a baguette bake-off that bestows honor and pride to bakers.

Since then, boulangers (bread makers) like Eric Kayser, 134RDT and Poilane have been returning to the artisanal production of bread, using natural levain (an alternative to yeast) and whole grains, working in neighborhood bakeries.

What constitutes a good baguette? To the eye, the crust should be substantial, golden brown to bien cuit(well-cooked), slightly irregular in form, indicating it has been hand-shaped, with a seam along one side (raised dots indicate a frozen dough). Breaking open the loaf requires a little effort; the crackle of the crust is an indication of quality. The interior should have irregular holes and not be spongy.

The soft, chewy texture should taste of good wheat with enough flavor that you want to eat it alone. In fact, few restaurants serve butter with bread. The shelf life of a good baguette, just five to six hours, is a good reason to visit Paris.

What better to eat with baguette than fromage (cheese)? In France, there are so many to choose from — goat, sheep or cow’s milk, fresh, seasonal, aged, covered in ash, washed-rind cheeses (orange on the outside) … A host of other characteristics reflect the producer, the region and the technique. Like wine, cheeses have an AOC designation — Appellation Origin Controlee. Some have an Appellation Origin Protégé designation, a European Union standard for cheese that protects the origin and tradition of cheesemaking.

Androuet, a well-regarded fromagerie (cheese store) has access to cheese from small producers throughout France, maintaining the tradition of artisanal versus large-scale product.

In this seventh arrondissement (district) shop, the cheese is aged on premise and cut for visitors by knowledgeable staff. Customers can buy a goat cheese that is seven to 21 days old, a Comte (considered the national cheese) that is a year or two old. Each has its own flavor profile based on seasonality and aging.

The tradition of cheese as an important part of a meal persists in Paris; it’s not just an accompaniment or melted topping on food.

Chocolate lovers take delight: Paris has more chocolate shops than any city in the world, according to my Chocolate Tour guide. Every few blocks a chocolatier entices you with the sweet confection that has been around for about 150 years.

At one time, chocolate was sold as a drink and an elixir of good health. Debauve and Gallais, a traditional chocolate purveyor dating to 1800, was founded by a chemist based on this premise.

Today, chocolate confection shops are ubiquitous in Paris. George Larnicol of Maison Larnicol has chocolate confections in bulk bins and specializes in sculptures for special occasions. Sleek, modern shops like Jacques Genin, Un Dimanche a Paris, Pierre Marcolini and Patrick Roger feature fabulously beautiful bites of chocolate by origin and flavored with herbs and spices such as cardamom, rosemary, yuzu, Szechuan peppercorns, pink peppercorns and a host of other ingredients. Chapon serves scoops of chocolate mousse in ice cream cones.

What struck me most on my food walks around Paris was this: Paris has never been about local food, a thought reiterated by four food tour guides. Farm-to-table? It’s an idea that is just gaining hold among some restaurants.

Les Halles, the belly of Paris immortalized by author Emile Zola, was the food capitol of France, a place everyone wanted to send their best food. Capitalizing on a system of rivers that enhanced transportation and a populace with a discerning palate, Les Halles was in business for about 800 years. By 1970, the food marketplace outgrew its location and moved to Rungis, about an hour south of Paris.

While haute cuisine’s foundation was based on seasonality, it has not necessarily been about farm-to-table in Paris. The 80 or so open street markets of Paris are mostly stocked with produce, meats, seafood, prepared foods, cheeses and other items purchased through Rungis. These are not farmers markets as we know them, though a few bio — short for biologique — vendors and markets feature organic products from their source.

Signs at all retail markets reveal the origin of foods sold, as provenance is still important to Parisians. Food comes from all parts of France — but Belgium, Spain, Italy, Kenya, Israel and Thailand also are among countries of origin listed in food stores.

While tradition still reigns in boulangerie, patisseries, cafes, brasseries, bistros and fine-dining restaurants, a changing population that includes immigrants from all over the world is changing the food scene in Paris.

Asian traitteurs (prepared-food establishments), sushi bars and Asian restaurants of all kinds are much more prominent today than 20 years ago.

Paris and its strong food traditions will certainly never be the same.

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For more information on food tours in Paris: www.contexttravel.com.