The Pacific Rim

Clustered around the immense Pacific Ocean, this loose grouping of countries stretches from Vietnam, China and Japan all the way round to the American West Coast and has great culinary diversity. Japanese sauces tend to be highly concentrated, served in small amounts and designed to set off the flavour of exquisite morsels of food - perhaps a pungent wasabi sauce to go with sashimi, or ponzu, a sour dipping sauce made from soy and yuzu (¡an oriental citrus fruit), to accompany chilled shellfish - especially good with oysters. In China, too, sauces are light yet emphatic, often based on strong, salty, fermented foods such as soya and black beans, with ginger and garlic to refresh the flavour. This lightness of touch also characterises the cooking of the West Coast of America. With its chequered history, this area has absorbed culinary influences from Spain, Mexico, Italy and the immigrant Chinese population. Healthy foods such as salads and stir-fries reign supreme, and vinaigrettes and marinades often take the place of richer sauces.