Indonesian

Indonesia's indigenous techniques and ingredients merge with influences from India, the Middle East, China and Europe. And then there are the New World products brought by Spanish and Portuguese traders long before the Dutch colonized the islands.

Aficionados can only skim the surface unless we travel Indonesia itself. Most restaurants abroad and English-language cookbooks focus on the foods

Vietnamese

Vietnamese cooking is varied and usually very good. It is a mixture of Vietnamese, Chinese and French traditions, with a plethora of regional specialties. As in all countries of the region, rice or noodles usually provide the basis of a meal. Not surprisingly, fish is plentiful. Breakfast is generally noodle soup locally known as pho (pronounced 'fur'). French-style baguettes are available through

Norwegian

Norway's long coastline means that fish is an important part of Norwegian cuisine. The most popular dishes are fish soup, lye fish (lutefisk) and smoked salmon. Cured meat is also a frequent part of a traditional Norwegian meal. Sweet brown goats cheese (geitost) and the thin crispy flat bread are also typical Norwegian food. Aquavit, a spirit distilled from potatoes and flavored with caraway,