Oils, Vinegars, Herbs, Spices & Flavourings

Whenever I travel abroad, the first place I visit in any town or village is the marketplace, because it reveals so much about the gastronomic life of any area or culture. In some of the countries that I have visited, like India, Bali, Turkey, Egypt and Morocco, the spice markets are separate from those selling other food products. I do not fully understand the subtleties of the combinations of the spices in the recipes from these countries, but it seems to me that certain flavours predominate. In Indian food it seems to be cumin, while in Chinese cooking it is soy sauce and ginger, and in Thai cooking lemon grass, coriander and chilli. If I had to classify the central flavours of Italian cooking in the same way it would have to be garlic and basil, with some rosemary and oregano.