Classical French marinades start with a mirepoix , a fragrant dice of onion, celery and carrot. The Chinese use ginger, green onions and garlic. Dried, fresh and roasted chiles lie at the heart of Mexican marinades, like the ancho adobo used to flavor tacos al pastor . Herbs and spices are the soloists, adding high notes of character and flavor. As for condiments, they can be as commonplace as soy sauce or hot sauce, or as exotic as fish sauce or rose water.
Marinades are generally liquidy, but some can be as thick as paste.
The latter include wet rubs, like Jamaica's jerk seasoning or the fiery Berber spice paste of North Africa. Incidentally, Italy's pesto makes a memorable marinade for poultry and seafood. The flavorings for a marinade are limited only to your imagination. But over the course of time, certain flavorings have come to be associated with specific foods. Seafood is well served by the fragrant tartness of lemon juice, olive oil and fresh herbs.