A Southeast Asian kitchen is built around five main items: a coal or wood fire, a wok, a mortar and pestle, a cleaver, and something in which to cook rice -- these days it is usually an electric rice steamer.

Southeast Asian food is cooked primarily in a well-seasoned wok, an all-purpose pan in which you can stir-fry, deep-fry, pan-fry, boil, blanche, and even steam foods. Some foods, like satay, are grilled directly over the fire, but, because of the scarcity of fuel, virtually nothing is baked. In wok cooking, food is usually cut into uniform small pieces in order to speed cooking time, save precious fuel, and expose the maximum surface area to sauces and marinades. Communal cooking is another method of fuel conservation.

Mortars and pestles are used to create the many marinades and spice mixtures. These vary in form from area to area. Thai cooks, for example, use deep, bowl-shaped mortars, while Indonesians use flat mortars or grinding stones, crushing and blending ingredients with a rolling, rather than a pounding, motion. The work of grinding chiles and other spices into powder or paste with mortar and pestle can be replicated by a food processor or coffee grinder, but nothing can match the satisfaction of using your muscles to release and blend multiple flavors into one new, sublime taste and smell.