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Welcome To The Round Bottom Wok Store
Round bottom woks have been a staple in Chinese cooking for centuries. In the past several decades they have been successfully introduced into the American kitchen. In Asian countries the round bottom wok is used for many different styles of cooking, included are classic stir fry, but woks are also used for steaming, braising and deep-frying foods. In America they are primarily used for stir fry dishes.
American Style vs Traditional Asain Woks
The real difference between American style woks and traditional woks are the shape. Asian woks are truly round bottomed whereas American woks often have a sightly flattened bottom. The flattened bottom is an intentional redesign meant to provide stability on Western flat stove-tops.
In Asia, woks are used on open-topped braziers. Basically this is an opening on the stove-top directly above the heat source. The wok is “seated” into the hole and the flared shape of the wok prevents it from falling. Using a traditional round bottom wok on an American stove-top requires a wok ring. This wok ring simulates the opening of the Asian open-topped stove and creates a stable cooking surface and more evenly distributed heat for the round bottom wok.
Best Materials for Woks
Stir frying in a wok involves cooking small pieces of food over high heat. The metal a wok is made of must have excellent heat conducting properties to allow for fast, even cooking of your vegetables and meat. The best woks are made of carbon steel and cast iron – two metals well known for their even heat conducting and heat retention properties.
Although in recent years there have been advances in high end non-stick surface woks which allow for faster cleanup. Only purchase non-stick if the underlying pan is made of thick, heavy, heat-conducting materials such as carbon steel and cast iron.Anodized aluminum and stainless steel lined aluminum also perform well and are the materials used for many of the newer American style woks and stir-fry pans.
Size Considerations
When purchasing a round bottom wok size is important. A small 10 inch wok will allow you to cook a single stir fry recipe whereas a larger 13 or 14 inch wok will allow you more versatility and larger portions. Think about your cooking habits and choose a size that will accommodate your needs.
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