Why Are Carbon Steel Woks So Popular?

Carbon steel woks always seem to have a much higher popularity than any of the other models. To the uninitiated this may seem strange. When looking at a new carbon steel wok it would appear to be a very inefficient cooking utensil. After all it is just plain steel, and unadorned except for the addition of one or two handles.

When compared to other kitchen utensils that have enameled surfaces and attractive colors or perhaps shiny stainless steel models that brag about their easy cleanup or even the traditional and still popular cast-iron cooking utensils that seems to appear in almost every kitchen, why does the plain carbon steel wok remain so popular?

Modern woks have followed the development of traditional cookware. They are now constructed from various exotic materials and others with modern nonstick interiors.Since these new modern cooking utensils have become so popular because of their ability to prevent food from sticking and their ease of cleanup and the attractiveness that they can add to the modern kitchen one would surmise that these modern technologies would only help to improve on the traditional wok.

But if you purchase any stir fry or wok recipe book you're sure to find that the authors seem to always have a preference for the plain uncoated carbon steel wok. Why would these authors continue to use such an ancient device when so many modern versions are available?

A conversation with any of these stir fry devotees will quickly convince you that in the case of wok cooking modern does not mean better. Any wok chef worth his or her title will not begin to prepare a stir fry meal without the intention of achieving the ultimate taste.

“Why bother”, they might say, “going to the trouble of properly preparing the ingredients, finding the proper heat source, seeking out or making their own secret sauces all in the quest for that mystical taste sensation referred to as “wok hay” and then destroy all of this effort by cooking in an improper utensil".

Let's examine a few of these modern varieties so that we may understand why the carbon steel wok is held in such high esteem.

It would be difficult to find a modern kitchen that did not contain at least one stainless steel cooking utensil. Home cooks appreciate the beauty and ease of maintenance and cleanup of stainless steel pots and pans. Why would these benefits not transfer to the wok?

The disadvantage of stainless steel when used in a wok is that it produces an uneven heat and also tends to require more oil to prevent sticking. While a stainless steel wok works very well for steaming vegetables, the above-mentioned disadvantages when used in a wok make it less than satisfactory.

While cast iron woks are still very common in China a little investigation will show a great difference between those and modern American cast-iron woks. Cast-iron woks found in the United States tend to be of heavy gauge which heat slowly but once hot will retain heat for long periods. This can cause problems if the stir fry ingredients are not removed quickly once they are finished because the retained heat in the cast-iron can overcook the meal.

The traditional Chinese cast-iron wok is much thinner. So it heats quicker and loses its heat more rapidly and so operates very similar to a carbon steel wok. However this thin cast iron is extremely fragile and will shatter if handled roughly. Also it seems that even though these cast iron woks are widely used many Chinese chef's maintain that the carbon steel wok imparts a special flavor not possible from a cast-iron model.

While some European and American cooks swear by their electric woks it would seem from a review of comments left on forums and other venues where stir fry devotees assemble that there are only one or possibly two models of electric woks that will reach and maintain sufficient heat for proper stir fry. Because most electric woks are either underpowered or because they cycle on and off and do not maintain a steady heat they tend to be unsuitable for wok cooking.

More information regarding electric woks is available here. Electric Woks A Serious Stir Fry Heat Source?

One the latest development in modern woks is something called a five layer wok. The material for these woks is produced from an aluminum core and stainless steel exteriors. While this would seem to be an ideal solution in effect they tend the heat much slower than the iron wok and also have a purchase price much greater than almost any other model.

Woks with nonstick surfaces also have problems. In a carbon steel wok or a well-made cast iron wok once properly seasoned portions of the juices produced while cooking tend to adhere to the wok itself which only improves the natural seasoning. In the nonstick models because these juices are not allowed to adhere to the wok surface they attach themselves to the food and instead of providing those wonderful brown flavors to the meal they only detract from the finished product.

So it would seem that the traditional very simple and plain carbon steel wok has a place with other traditional tools from other trades such as an old-fashioned carpenters hand plane. Any traditional
woodworker will tell you that whenever possible they would much rather use hand planes or other hand tools because they produce a surface and the finish just not possible with modern power tools. The tool itself adds something to the finished product not available with any other
method.

So it seems that the traditional wok in its ancient form lacking modern technology and modern materials excels where it's modern cousins fail. It would seem that choosing the proper wok would be a simple matter of searching for a well-made heavy gauge carbon steel wok with the proper
handles.

Woks having one long handle and one adjacent short handle seem to be the most popular as the double handle design makes it easy to pour liquids and food products from the wok using both hands.

One caution is necessary though. Many modern carbon steel woks are made by pressing or stamping from very thin material. These thin woks tend to buckle once heated and do not maintain their heat property. So care should be taken to make sure that the carbon steel wok is made froma
heavy gauge material.

Once the purchase is made and a few minutes are spent to properly season your wok you will be ready to produce a traditional meal with the simplest cooking utensil which has survived and remains popular after hundreds of years.

Interesting information regarding the traditional Chinese wok is available at this site. wikipedia.org