In between taking nips of cooking sherry and maintaining his position as Britain's best loved dishevelled and unpredictable gastronome, Keith Floyd has been amassing a vast knowledge of Thai cuisine. And after 20 years of visiting the country, he has finally written his definitive guide - Keith Floyd's Thai Food.

The book is a comprehensive guide to cookery from the region, from basic spice mixes to little-known Thai desserts, via noodle dishes, rice and main courses. There are instructional pages on ingredients and valuable suggestions on substitutions - so read it, before you start scouring the supermarket shelves for that bottle of Golden Mountain sauce.

Floyd takes the reader on a gastronomic journey, flying to Thailand in his opening chapter. Ever eager to get stuck in, he heads straight from the baggage carousel to a Bangkok market where he feasts on a jetlag-busting breakfast of fresh mango and chilli, washed down with coconut juice. The rest is a whistle-stop tour of the country, visiting old friends, floating markets, grand hotels and the obligatory vineyard (yes - even in Thailand!)

What follows is a collection of recipes divided into sauces, noodles, soups, vegetables, fish and shellfish and meat and poultry, with the emphasis on authentic ingredients. There are classic red and green curries alongside more unusual Hanglay and Panaeng versions, and some dishes you'd be hard pushed to find at your local Thai restaurant. Dust off your fondue set, with Floyd's recipe for a Seafood Steamboat - raw fish cooked in hot stock at the table, a dinner party dish where your guests get involved in the cooking.

There is a fascinating chapter on salads and street food which includes staples from every bustling market in the country - Fish Cakes, Soy Been Fritters, Green Skewered Prawns and Spicy Corn Cakes. The pages on vegetables would make any vegetarian happy, from Green Been Curry to Aubergines with Tofu. With its vast range of dishes, Keith Floyd's Thai Food, would suit everyone from novice cook to those in search of more challenging recipes.

It's obvious that Keith Floyd has taken great care writing about a cuisine he loves, right down to the accompanying picture captions which are penned by the man himself. In one photograph, holding a glass aloft, it reads - 'Believe it or not I'm drinking tea!'