Benefits of Carbon Steel Cooking Woks

With more of Asian cooking gaining popularity world wide so do the woks as woks are the integral part of Asian cooking. Out of the many types of woks available in the market the carbon steel woks is widely used all over. The carbon steel wok is known for their superior heat conductivity and distributes heat evenly. Carbon steel being the most porous material when heated absorbs the cooking oil, which leads to the development of “patina” and then the elusive “wok hay”. This contributes to the flavor and taste of the food being cooked.

In all the Chinese restaurants the chef’s first choice is the carbon steel wok as it is ideal for Chinese cooking. Carbon steel wok varies greatly in style, price and quality which depend on ply and forming technique. The wok which comes in the lower category are those with single ply and stamped straight from a piece of steel whereas the good quality carbon steel wok are made from the two sheets of carbon steel and is hand hammered to create the ridges or dimples along the sides of the wok.

These ridges are very helpful in the frying technique of the chef. Moreover these woks are inexpensive, light weight easy to handle and handy enough to pick up and shake the food with relative ease.