From Sinaloa's rugged, majestic mountains and pine forests to Veracruz's green coasts and tropical jungles, Mexico's food varies widely-reflecting Caribbean, Spanish and Mayan influences.

Today, American chefs combine the Japanese condiment Wasabi with local ingredients, especially fish. In fusion cooking, it works nicely in mashed potatoes, light sauces, marinades and dressings, particularly accompanying salmon. Includes recipe for Wasabe Salmon and Edamame Rice Bowl.

Pesto, once an exotic Italian sauce, is now so common and popular that it can be found ready-made on supermarket shelves. But it's much better home-made, and easy to make, especially in the summer when tomatoes are at their best.

The four basic tastes – salty, sweet, sour and bitter – are familiar to us, but so is umami, the Japanese name for "the fifth taste" that doesn't have a name in the West. Includes recipe for Mushroom, Green Pepper and Onion Omelet.

Irish chefs have gained the respect of world food connoisseurs, but they have not forgotten their roots. So although pub food has been joined by haute cuisine, homely traditional dishes still hold their place.

As nutrition-conscious cooks around the world change their cooking methods to create lighter meals, certain cuisines seem to present more of a challenge than others. French food, with its customary reliance on cream, lard and butter is an obvious example.