The title of Duguid and Alford's book is itself the most efficient description of the flavour principle that unifies the Mekong corridor's culinary traditions. Every preparation in every tradition documented in the book operates on some version of this four-register balance — and the variations between traditions can be largely described in terms of which register dominates and which seasoning agents provide each register.
Naomi Duguid & Jeffrey Alford, *Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia* (2000); Naomi Duguid, *Burma: Rivers of Flavor* (2012)