Ingredients

Fresh vegetables are, of course, essential to good vegetarian cooking. But equally important are the other ingredients — the seasonings, spices and sauces that complement and enhance the virtues of the vegetables. The recipes in this book draw upon a number of special ingredients which give a distinctive taste to the food, making them authentic versions of the Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian originals.

All the ingredients used in these recipes can be obtained in Britain, if not from your local supermarket then certainly from either a Chinese, oriental or Asian grocer. There are now many of these grocers throughout the UK. It is well worth the effort to find your nearest oriental, Chinese or Asian grocer and to build up a stock of the most frequently used ingredients.