A food lover's guide to all the best ingredients.

Do you want to prepare an Asian meal as delectable as those in restaurants? Are you too intimidated by the exotic ingredients to try? And what's inside those mysterious bottles, bags, and boxes in your local Asian grocery store anyway?

This handy Take it With You guide provides the answers. Author Linda Bladholm, who has lived, worked, cooked, and dined in locales as diverse as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Korea, Laos, and Vietnam, takes you on a tour of a typical Asian grocery store and expertly describes what you'll find.

Make Your Next Shopping Trip a Successful and Fascinating Journey.

Peppered with over 400 illustrations, plus stories about the ingredients used in every major Asian cuisine, this guidebook identifies and tells you how to use the vast array of meats, fruits, vegetables, noodles, tofu, rice, and delicacies. A bonus section of the author's favorite recipes will help you create savory, authentic dishes that will impress everyone-- and it will open a window onto the remarkable civilizations of the Orient.