What’s A Wok?
Woks are for stir-frying over a very hot fire for a very short period of time, stir-frys are
usually made with fresh vegetables that remain crisp and some type of meat. They were originally created with a very round bottom, and were balanced on the coals of a fire. Thus leaving the both hands free to prepare the food, usually holding a spatula in one hand and chop sticks in the other.
Later, when stoves were made, there was a special place made to hold the wok. A concave metal disk placed on the hearth allowed the flames to reach up and around the sides.
The difficulties for Americans using a wok are that the wok was not created for the burners on American stoves. Because the wok is round bottomed, it is very dangerous, and may slide off of the stove. You can purchase round bottom woks with two metal handles; this allows you to hold it in place with an oven mitt while cooking.
The disadvantage is that you must remove the wok before adding additional ingredients; this changes the heat which should remain constant. A ring may be purchased to sit over the top of the burner; however this raises the wok up off of the flame, which reduces the
intensity of the heat.
There are three styles available on the market today:
*Round-bottomed with two steel handles, (the handles get hot and you will need either an oven mitt or a dishtowel to hold it in place)
*Round-bottomed with one wood handle and one steel handle
*Flat-bottomed with one wooden and one steel handle (these work best for American stove tops.)
Even though you can buy woks made with a wide variety of metals (even gourmet woks), the best woks are made of heavy-gauge steel. Properly maintained this wok will last for a lifetime.
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September 29th, 2007 at 3:49 am a
[...] is a wok not “just a wok”? When it’s a gourmet wok, of course. Wok’s have come a long way since their inception. They were originally created with a [...]
September 29th, 2007 at 4:05 am a
[...] 28, 2007What’s A Wok? When is a wok not “just a wok”? When it’s a gourmet wok, of course. Wok’s have come a long way since their inception. They were originally created with a [...]
September 29th, 2007 at 4:06 am a
[...] 28, 2007What’s A Wok? When is a wok not “just a wok”? When it’s a gourmet wok, of course. Wok’s have come a long way since their inception. They were originally created with a [...]
September 29th, 2007 at 4:27 am a
[...] difficulties for Americans using a wok are that the wok was not created for the burners on American stoves. Because the wok is round [...]