Stir-fried vegetables would be appropriate on a day when a swift meal was needed because children had to be picked up from an after-school club, for example.

BBC: Planning 'key to avoiding waste'

It seems that every street corner has at least one vendor, their charcoal grills and scorching woks hissing with stir-fried vegetables, charred meats, pungent spices and delicate sweets.

BBC: The perfect trip: Thailand

Two cooks sift and weigh the salvaged vegetables and whip up a selection of dishes - papaya soup, tomatoes and eggs, stir-fried cauliflower and cabbage.

BBC: Business