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The wok is a versatile round-bottomed cooking vessel originating in the country of China. It is used especially in East and Southeast Asia. The word "wok" comes from the Cantonese Chinese word for the item: "wok" (鑊). more...

Standard Mandarin refers to woks by using the word "guō" (锅, a different Hanzi), or the phrases "guōzi" (锅子), or "chǎo cài guō" (炒菜锅). Although the word "guō" in Mandarin refers to any type of cooking vessel, using the word on its own typically means a Chinese wok. In Indonesia the wok is known as a penggorengan, as kuali (small wok) in Malaysia, and kawa (big wok) or kawali in the Philippines and also named as "Wadjang".

It is most often used for stir frying, but can also be used many other ways, such as in steaming, deep frying, braising, stewing, or making soup. It is commonly, almost exclusively, cooked with a long handle Wok Chahn (Spatula) or/and a long handle Wok Hauk (Ladle). The long extensions of these utensils is to allow the cook to maneuver the food without burning the hand.

Characteristics

The wok's most distinguishing feature is its shape. Classic woks have a rounded bottom. Hand-hammered woks are sometimes flipped inside out after being shaped, giving the wok a gentle flare to the edge that makes it easier to push food up onto the sides of the wok. Woks sold in western countries are sometimes found with flat bottoms - this makes them more similar to a deep frying pan. The flat bottom allows the wok to be used on an electric stove, where a rounded wok would not be able to fully contact the stove's heating element.

Most woks range from 30 cm to 2 metres or more in diameter. Woks of 36 cm (14 inches) (suitable for a family of 3 or 4) are the most common, but home woks can be found as small as 20 cm (8") and as large as 91 cm (36"). Smaller woks are typically used for quick cooking techniques at high heat such as stir frying (Chinese: chǎo, 炒 or bao, 爆). Large woks over a meter wide are mainly used by restaurants or community kitchens for cooking rice or soup, or for boiling water.

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