We buy food we can point to. We stalk the streets until rush hour and wait for the little hatches to open in the sides of restaurants. From the steamy openings, cooks in overalls sell jiaozi (dumplings) and bowls of thick, sticky, white congee - an unholy cross between soup and porridge. Baozi, steamed white buns, are light as air. I buy them filled with water spinach and nettle - delicious dipped in sharp, black Chinese vinegar. In 2008, Miranda and her partner set off for one last big adventure before settling down. They chose to travel through South-East Asia. All did not go to plan: Asian flu, falling off boats and the general chaos of a life abroad challenged them at every step, and yet, in the midst of it all, they fell in love with the culture and culinary delights of China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia. AUTHOR: Miranda Emmerson is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 4 Extra where she specialises in abridging books for radio and adapting them for dramatic serialisation. She lives in Wales with her husband and their two daughters. REVIEWS: 'Fragrant Heart' is an honest and witty account of falling in love: with food, with new experiences and with the person you want to be with for the rest of your life. SELLING POINTS: A comprehensive Bibliography and Asian Food Suppliers section at the end of the book allows keen cooks to learn more and start their own food journey Contains authentic recipes so readers can recreate Miranda's food experiences for themselves

Author Biography

Miranda Davies is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 4 Extra where she specialises in abridging books for radio and adapting them for dramatic serialisation. She lives in Wales with her husband and their two daughters.