temperature inside can go beyond 100°C.
The kitchen is where one learns to control cooking temperature. The gas burner is ideal for Chinese cooking because it allows quick adjustment of temperature during the cooking process. Rounded-bottom woks can be used on the flat-topped gas cookers with a wok ring to stabilise it. In the West, the heat from the domestic gas cooker is normally not adequate for quick stir-frying that requires a cooking temperature of 180°C or higher. The good news is that wok burners are now available as a standard feature in some cooker ranges. Stand-alone wok burners are also commercially available; they can be installed alongside the electric or induction hob to complete the range. Their heat outputs go from 2.8kW and up, with the minimum of two concentric burner rings essential for the distribution and coverage of the heat.
For a Chinese gourmand, the wok aroma is the telltale sign of a dish that has been prepared with the optimal cooking temperature. The wok aroma is missing when the dish is cooked on a heat source that is not up to the job, or when the cook fails to control the cooking temperature appropriately. It is the nose that detects the wok aroma when the optimal cooking temperature activates the aroma molecules of all the ingredients, including those brought about by the Maillard Reactions, as the result of their interaction with the heat; this is the time when the food tells us it is ready to be served. Try to capture the aroma towards the end of the cooking. If you do not find any sign of communication, turn the heat up a little and stir the food so it benefits from even distribution of the heat. The nose will soon learn to pick it up.
The Wok
A standard Chinese wok has a bowl-shaped, rounded bottom with a sloping rim suitable for gas burners. 35 The concave shape of the wok makes it easier to toss, stir, and mix food. It also allows the flames to wrap around the wok and go up the sides so as to give a larger cooking area inside the wok with a temperature gradient. The bottom of the wok is the hottest area, and the temperature goes down slightly further up the rim.
There are two practical aspects of cooking that illustrate the essence of using the wok: The wine and the vinegar are often added to the wok towards the end of stir-frying dishes and are drizzled in a circular motion onto the rim. The heat on the rim removes some of the alcohol from them and activates the volatile aroma molecules. After one more toss or mixing, the dish is ready to be served. Furthermore, the sloping rim allows the steam built up in the wok to escape comparatively easily – an element that contributes to the intensity of the flavour.
The conductivity of the material is a consideration when purchasing a wok. Carbon steel is commonly used to manufacture traditional woks and is popular because of its sensitivity to heat adjustment. The thicker its gauge, the more even the distribution of heat, but the weight can make holding and tossing unwieldy. Lighter woks with a thin gauge are available; they are easy to hold, but some of the very thin ones can warp and lead to uneven heat distribution.
The design of the handle is also worth noticing. The handles of the wok come in three designs: loops, stick, or the combination of both on the opposite side of the wok. A pair of bare metal loop handles mounted on the opposite sides of the wok can be found in old-fashioned kitchens that still use wood-burning stoves. It is more common these days to find the metal loops insulated with wood, bamboo, or heatproof synthetic materials to prevent injuries to the handlers. The wok with a stick handle is popular with people who have the habit of turning and mixing the food with the tossing motion. Insulated stick handles are mostly for the domestic kitchen, whereas metal stick handles can be found in the professional kitchen to deal with flying flames in high-heat cooking. I like the wok with an
The kitchen is where one learns to control cooking temperature. The gas burner is ideal for Chinese cooking because it allows quick adjustment of temperature during the cooking process. Rounded-bottom woks can be used on the flat-topped gas cookers with a wok ring to stabilise it. In the West, the heat from the domestic gas cooker is normally not adequate for quick stir-frying that requires a cooking temperature of 180°C or higher. The good news is that wok burners are now available as a standard feature in some cooker ranges. Stand-alone wok burners are also commercially available; they can be installed alongside the electric or induction hob to complete the range. Their heat outputs go from 2.8kW and up, with the minimum of two concentric burner rings essential for the distribution and coverage of the heat.
For a Chinese gourmand, the wok aroma is the telltale sign of a dish that has been prepared with the optimal cooking temperature. The wok aroma is missing when the dish is cooked on a heat source that is not up to the job, or when the cook fails to control the cooking temperature appropriately. It is the nose that detects the wok aroma when the optimal cooking temperature activates the aroma molecules of all the ingredients, including those brought about by the Maillard Reactions, as the result of their interaction with the heat; this is the time when the food tells us it is ready to be served. Try to capture the aroma towards the end of the cooking. If you do not find any sign of communication, turn the heat up a little and stir the food so it benefits from even distribution of the heat. The nose will soon learn to pick it up.
The Wok
A standard Chinese wok has a bowl-shaped, rounded bottom with a sloping rim suitable for gas burners. 35 The concave shape of the wok makes it easier to toss, stir, and mix food. It also allows the flames to wrap around the wok and go up the sides so as to give a larger cooking area inside the wok with a temperature gradient. The bottom of the wok is the hottest area, and the temperature goes down slightly further up the rim.
There are two practical aspects of cooking that illustrate the essence of using the wok: The wine and the vinegar are often added to the wok towards the end of stir-frying dishes and are drizzled in a circular motion onto the rim. The heat on the rim removes some of the alcohol from them and activates the volatile aroma molecules. After one more toss or mixing, the dish is ready to be served. Furthermore, the sloping rim allows the steam built up in the wok to escape comparatively easily – an element that contributes to the intensity of the flavour.
The conductivity of the material is a consideration when purchasing a wok. Carbon steel is commonly used to manufacture traditional woks and is popular because of its sensitivity to heat adjustment. The thicker its gauge, the more even the distribution of heat, but the weight can make holding and tossing unwieldy. Lighter woks with a thin gauge are available; they are easy to hold, but some of the very thin ones can warp and lead to uneven heat distribution.
The design of the handle is also worth noticing. The handles of the wok come in three designs: loops, stick, or the combination of both on the opposite side of the wok. A pair of bare metal loop handles mounted on the opposite sides of the wok can be found in old-fashioned kitchens that still use wood-burning stoves. It is more common these days to find the metal loops insulated with wood, bamboo, or heatproof synthetic materials to prevent injuries to the handlers. The wok with a stick handle is popular with people who have the habit of turning and mixing the food with the tossing motion. Insulated stick handles are mostly for the domestic kitchen, whereas metal stick handles can be found in the professional kitchen to deal with flying flames in high-heat cooking. I like the wok with an
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