These distinctive dishes are produced by cooking styles ranging from the primitive ground ovens and leaf wrapping of Polynesia to the refined and exquisite court cuisine of Thailand. In between lies a vast mélange of highly developed culinary approaches, overlaid with a crumbling crust of many colonial influences. At first glance it would seem that many of these cuisines have little in common with one another; but they all depend heavily on the coconut, and without spices and rice, the cooking styles of Southeast Asia could not be what they are. - Introduction.