A round-bottom cooking vessel is a wok. They are utensils that are bowl-shaped and their main characteristic is that they spread heat evenly. The origin of a wok is ancient China. Even today it is extensively used in Southeast Asia especially the eastern parts of Asia. Mostly used for stir-frying, woks are also used for stewing, deep frying, smoking, steaming, braising and making soups. A long handle spatula is necessary while cooking in a wok. The most commonly used style is the stainless steel wok.
There are two kinds of woks. These are the flat bottom wok and traditional round bottom wok. The traditional ones work on top of a gas stove or over the fire. They are perfect to toss the food. Nevertheless, the downside is that they tend to reflect back heat due to their rounded bottom. This could harm the heating element.
Cast Iron Wok
On the other hand, a flat bottom wok works well with an electric stove as it balances on the hot plate. However, the disadvantage here is that heat distribution is uneven. The food may not cook well as it would if one uses a round-bottomed wok.
The Chinese and Thai cookery needs this utensil and when you go to Southeast Asian states, you will notice that almost all houses have a wok. As the high flame spreads below the surface of a wok, due to its shape, it enables even distribution of heat. This helps in cooking the food at high speed and makes it crispy as well. You will also notice that most of the fast-food joints have a wok for sure. It enables quick preparation of food and they can thus sell volumes.
Woks are mostly made of iron, carbon steel, stainless steel or aluminum. Each of the materials has their own advantages and disadvantages. In big hotels and restaurants in the kitchen, you will come across huge woks that are capable of making high volumes of food. Iron woks are naturally non-stick once you season them. Woks from cast iron are perfect for stirring and tossing. If they fall, they can easily spoil. The advantage of carbon steel woks is that they are good conductors of heat. They have a drawback as food might stick to the sides of the wok. There are several advantages of using a wok made in stainless steel. Let me list some for you.
Free of Rust: The stainless steel wok is ideal for boiling and steaming purposes. The best part about this material is that there is no worry of any rust accumulation. Therefore, there is no seasoning required.
Good Appearance: Woks made of stainless steel are very good looking. After every use if you scrub them well, they look as good as new.
Flat Bottom: A stainless steel wok with a slightly flat bottom is the best to use. This enables it to have more contact with the heating element.
Lightweight: Compared to cast iron and carbon steel, woks made in stainless steel are much lighter. This makes it possible for them to be carried anywhere. Therefore, if you are going for a picnic or camping, you could just pack the wok and have some great stir-fry on your trip. So, if you are looking forward to make some great Chinese food at home, grab a good stainless steel wok at the earliest.
Black Friday Joyce Chen Pro-Chef 14-Inch Round Bottom Wok with Wood Handles 2011 Deals
Nov 13, 2011 07:20:11
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Black Friday Joyce Chen Pro-Chef 14-Inch Round Bottom Wok with Wood Handles Feature
- Traditional 14-inch, round-bottomed wok with wooden grip and helper handle
- Made of unseasoned heavy carbon steel
- Designed for rapid, even heating and cooling
- Hand wash only
Black Friday Joyce Chen Pro-Chef 14-Inch Round Bottom Wok with Wood Handles Overview
Part of the Carbon Steel Wok Series by Joyce Chen, the 14" Round Bottom Wok is a heavy weight at 1.8 mm of carbon steel. It is made for use on gas or electric burners and the pan's heavy weight carbon steel body is designed for rapid, even heating and cooling ¿ a must for any stir-fry. Its generous size will enable you to make delicious Asian meals for your entire family. Once seasoned, these heavy weight carbon steel pans will render superior cooking performance for life. This pan is perfect for creating such authentic Asian-style recipes as curried shrimp with lemon rice and Szechwan beef stir-fry. This pan features Blonde wood grip and helper handles. These wood handles are designed to stay cool on the stovetop, so you can easily remove the pan from the burner without using potholders. Joyce Chen's slogan "Eastern Cookware for the Western Kitchen," reflects her focus on providing high-quality, versatile tools and products that have Asian flair, but can be used in a western kitchen. Today, Joyce Chen Products come from all over the Pacific Rim to bring the best of Asia to you. Joyce Chen opened her first restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1958. The restaurant flourished, and in 1973 a larger Cambridge restaurant was opened. Chen also began writing Chinese cookbooks and in the 1970s began hosting a cooking show on public television. She found that the selection and quality of Chinese cookware in America didn't live up to her high standards¿ so she developed her own.SAVE NOW on Black Friday offers below!
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