Rick Stein's a nice chap isn't he? He's always grinning and cooking fish. He lives in permanent sunshine and would make an excellent jolly uncle. His travelogues have been lessons in sweetery and one of them is being released on DVD.

We can join Rick on his culinary adventure through the food and culture of the Far East - an ambitious journey, avoiding the beaten track and tourist hot-spots, in search of the authentic food of Southeast Asia.

Stein sets off on an epic culinary journey to explore the Far East's most diverse food cultures which have soared to the height of popularity the world over. Featuring new recipes to make your mouth explode and great on-location photography evoking the magic of bustling markets, exotic locations and exciting flavours Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey is released on DVD from 22nd February and should retail at around £20.

Experience a heady mix of Chinese and French influences that characterise Vietnamese food; the distinctive and unusual Khmer cuisine of Cambodia; and the light and fragrant flavours of Bangladesh that helped shape the menu of so many UK curry houses.

Along the way, Rick visits traditional family-run restaurants, street vendors, night markets, fishing villages, and local farmers to learn about the authentic food of the area, and to sample the delicious spectrum of flavours. Rick's journey also takes him to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysian and Bali.

The DVD shares Rick's new-found knowledge by re-creating food from his travels and captures on the plate the rich and varying cultures of the Far East. It also includes the special Christmas Odyssey episode, in which Rick Stein uses his new ideas from the Far East to brighten up our festive dishes.

2 discs running at approx 420 mins approx, you can't really grumble at that.