Wondering how to ring the changes for this year's Christmas feasting? Rick Stein has some delicious new ideas which he brought back from his Far Eastern Odyssey. His journey took him to Cambodia, Bali, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Thailand - historically one of the most important regions in the world associated with spices fundamental to our enjoyment of Christmas cake, pudding, mulled wine and mince pies. Although Christmas may not be celebrated to the same level in those countries, their traditional food could brighten up your meals this season.

Rick Stein is on an epic culinary journey beginning in Cambodia, where he discovers the joys of freshly caught swimmer crabs cooked with green peppercorns from Kampot.

Rick travels down the Mekong River to Vietnam. The country's light and fresh food, prepared using an abundance of herbs, includes lots of freshwater fish and flavoursome soups made with thin strips of beef and rice noodles.

Rick continues his odyssey in Thailand, where he meets up with one of his heroes, David Thompson, a man who has immersed his professional life into understanding Thai cuisine. Later, Rick takes a train south to Phuket to learn the art of a hot and sour tom yum goong, the culinary icon of Thailand. Finally, he visits Melaka, once the heart of the spice trade, to enjoy the delights of Nyonya cuisine.

Rick is spoilt for choice as he explores the multifaceted food of Penang, an appealing mix of indigenous Malay, Indian and Chinese with a bit of British charm thrown in for good measure. He meets up with a vibrant food writer Fay Khoo to discover the exceptional popularity of fish head curry in the region. Across the Indian Ocean in Sri Lanka, Rick continues his passion for seafood by visiting a bustling fishing village north of Colombo and takes part in a most unusual fishing expedition further south in Galle.

Rick visits Sri Lanka and discovers a wealth of hot and spicy vegetable curries, and then moves on to Bali, where food takes on a religious significance. He samples the best roast pork he has ever tasted.

Rick ends his culinary tour in Bangladesh, the country that spawned thousands of 'Indian' restaurants in Britain years ago. Not surprisingly, curry is at the top of his list.

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