Wok this Way! (Part 1 of 5)

Introduction

Woks have been synonymous with Chinese cooking since the emergence of Chinese cuisine. They have been used for some 3000 years in China for a variety of cooking methods, including stir frying, boiling, and steaming. A wok is a large, thin-walled, round-bottomed, metal cooking pan, and shaped like a shallow bowl with handles. The addition of a wooden rack and cover transforms the wok into a steamer. Although woks come in sizes ranging from 10 to 32 inches in diameter, a wok that's 11 to 14 inches should suffice for use in a household kitchen.

With the increasing popularity of Chinese cuisine, there are now many "Westernized" versions of the wok. There is the addition of a metal ring, which is set on top of a gas or electric stove to hold the wok to prevent tipping. Some have a small flat bottom instead of the traditional round bottom, for the same reason. The new versions will get the job done, but the "traditonal" large round-bottomed woks are still, by far, the preferred wok of choice.

Since the essence of Chinese cuisine is to achieve food tenderness through quick cooking to retain the natural taste, flavor, and color of the ingredients, the wok's ingenious unique design makes it a perfect fit in Chinese cooking. Its bottom concentrates heat to achieve 2 objectives: 1) to direct the heat at the food, while sealing in the flavors and allowing food to be cooked evenly, and 2) to allow cooking food quickly with very little oil. The stir fry cooking technique shifts food around the wok quickly, coating it with oil during cooking, as opposed to using a flat frying pan where a lot more oil is required. Consequently, cooking with a wok is essential for a healthy diet. It also has curved sides to keep in food that is being tossed and flipped during stir frying. Food, when cooked, may be moved up the sloping side of the wok to stay warm without cooking further, while other food is cooked at the bottom. It is also ideal for deep frying as it requires less oil than any other kitchen cookware to do the job.

Next, in Part 2 of Wok this way!, we'll go over selecting a wok.

Helen Fan grew up in a family that has owned various Asian restaurants all over North America, from Vancouver (Canada), Houston (Texas), Decatur (Illinois), to Chicago (Illinois). She, and the rest of the Fan family are now sharing their decades of knowledge on the art of Chinese cuisine at http://www.ChineseHomeCooking.Com

---

Roasting Meat - Temperatures and Times

Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, I still see... Read More

Garlic: A Quick Guide

Garlic, there's nothing like the smell of garlic. It's great... Read More

Working with Eggs

Bad eggs are rare but they do occur. Crack eggs... Read More

10 Smart Shopping Tips To Protect Your Family From Getting Sick

Prevention of food poisoning starts with your trip to the... Read More

The Joys of Refrigerator Cookies

Baking cookies seem to fill the house with a sense... Read More

Is Cooked Food Really All That Good For Us?

In nature all animals eat living foods as yielded up... Read More

Clarifying Butter

Clarified butter is a delightfully rich concentrated butter that can... Read More

Gourmet Sauces, Rubs and Marinades - Give Your BBQ a Gourmet Kick

Many individuals agree that the sauce on barbecued meat is... Read More

10 Simple Ways To Safely Store Food

Storing foods can present its own set of problems. And... Read More

10 Dishes Every New Bride or Groom Must Know How to Make!

Okay, you've either gotten married or are planning to pretty... Read More

Two for One Dinners: Eggplant

If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then... Read More

Fine Tuning Bread Machine Mixes

Sometimes bread machines can be tricky. We were trying to... Read More

How to Make Sandwich Rolls with Your Bread Machine

For that next picnic or family outing, consider making sandwich... Read More

Seasoning An Oven

Untreated cast iron rusts, especially around water. To prevent metal... Read More

Secrets of Great Breads

Often we field questions about making great bread. Great bread... Read More

Buying, Storing, and Preparing Apricots

When buying apricots, always look for those that are firm,... Read More

Two for One Dinners: Turkey

If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then... Read More

Save Money ? The Crock Way

Saving money ? is something we would all like to... Read More

Must Haves for Any At-Home Chef

With the holidays on their way soon, many people will... Read More

Save Time in the Kitchen - Cook Pasta the Way Restaurant Chefs Do

Have you ever wondered how a restaurant can get a... Read More

Do you own an AGA or RAYBURN cooker ?

The Cooker-rail....This is a novel way of increasing the drying... Read More

Wok this Way! (Part 4 of 5) Cleaning and Caring for Your Wok

Non-stick woks do not require seasoning, and come with simple... Read More

Eat your Veggies! Simple Cooking Methods

Vegetables add colour, taste, texture and bulk to our daily... Read More

Outdoor Chefs Choose Gas Grills

How many of you remember dad trying to get the... Read More

About Baking: Eight Tips for Perfect Pancakes

Pancakes are easy and almost foolproof. But there are some... Read More

Ten Steps to Perfect Pasta

I'm amazed at how often I get e-mail from a... Read More

Ten Proven Tips to Buy the Best Meat Available

Ten Proven Tips to buy the Best Meat AvailableAs you... Read More

Using Bread Machine Mixes in Your Oven

You don't have to own a bread machine to enjoy... Read More

Digital Kitchen Timers ? Never Burn Another Dish

Digital kitchen timers come in many shapes and sizes. Timers... Read More

How to Choose the Right Smoke for the Right BBQ Dish

BBQ smoke is one of the easiest ways to add... Read More

Caring For Your Wooden Cutting Board

Researchers have found that bacteria have a tougher time surviving... Read More

How to Make a Cajun Roux

The process of preparing Cajun food is in no way... Read More

Pyrex Mixing Bowls ? A Kitchen Favorite

Pyrex mixing bowls typically come in sets of 3 with... Read More