Advantages of Wok Cooking

I realized that my cookbook did not deal with wok selection nor reasons for its use even if the recipes specially mentions the wok. I have seen many erroneous remarks and statements that would tend to steer a novice away from this style of cooking. This poor advice would do you a disservice.

Here are some advantages of wok cooking:

• Its is affordable
• Pan become easier to clean and no stick character improves with age
• Spreads heat evenly
• Uses less oil
• Its shape insures both the oil and food fall to the best cooking area
• The large bowl accommodates a whole dinner

Where and what to buy?

The best place to buy a wok is at an Asian market. Buy the cheapest carbon steel one they have. I bought mine for under $10 and I have had it 22 years.

A 14 inch is a good size. Get the one with a wood handle on one side and a loop handle of the opposite side. If cooking with electric, get the flat-bottomed wok. With gas, get the round bottom. Do not get any with a non-stick or enabled finish; avoid aluminum, copper, or stainless steel. Electric woks that only go up to 1500 watts are useless and will not get hot enough to cook quickly.

Season the Pan

Learn how to season the pan. One must thoroughly clean the wok inside and out to remove the manufacturers’ protective coating. Use detergent and very hot water, scrubbing with scrub pad. See Jeremy Pang from the School of Wok shows how to properly care for and prepare your wok for cooking.

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-season-a-wok

Never use an abrasive cleanser or scrub the inside of a season wok.

Chuan

An accessories that is needed is the correctly shaped wok spatula for the round bottom wok. The special spatula called a Chuan is curve to fit the wok’s curvature. It is essential to move ingredients about to even cooking.

Round bottom 2 handle wok