Mom's Cast Iron Wok: The Best Wok?

Is a Cast Iron Wok Best? What about Stainless Steel, Round or Flat B

Oct 27, 2006

My mother hauled her kuali (cast iron wok) from Malaysia to Canada more than 30 years ago and she still uses it to this day. Now, I need to choose a wok to call my own.

My Mom was ahead of the curve by bringing her cast iron wok from Malaysia to Canada all those years ago. Today wok cooking is hot, but choosing a wok isn't easy, even for an Asian girl. I am embarrassed to admit that I don’t own a proper wok (yet). I have been stir-frying on Teflon pans or pots for many years now. About a week ago, I decided to toss my 15-year-old pots and pans and purchased a stainless steel set. The only thing missing now is the right wok. I am on a mission to find the best wok for the job.

Mom’s cast-iron wok comes with a steel wok ring – it distributes heat evenly. She has fried, steamed and boiled all kinds of things in that wok - it is infused with the taste and memory of hundreds of meals.

A PLETHORA OF WOKS

These days, there are so many different kinds of woks you can choose from, it's hard to know which is the best wok for your kitchen: carbon steel, cast iron, stainless steel, iron/enamel blends, hand-hammered, round bottoms, flat bottoms …. It’s dizzying. Here's a tip:

You can bet that the cast-iron wok used by many Chinese families is preferred. It cooks evenly, quickly and retains heat and is considered the most superior wok of all.

The carbon-steel ones are popular because they are light-weight but tend to deform easily while the iron/enamel pairing is considered even better for electric and glass top stoves, helping to impart the heat evenly.

The stainless steel ones are a modern invention and considered by many a Chinese cook to be a lesser cousin. It would be harder to achieve the “wok hay” flavour with this material as you’d have to add more oil or water to keep the food from sticking to the pot. Although, if you’re an avid steamer of foods, this may be your best bet.

The non-stick varieties are alright for simple frying or sautéing but not appropriate for stir frying. The Chinese stir fry their food at very high temperatures -- something not recommended for the non-stick stuff.

The hand-hammered varieties are highly-prized. Two sheets of steel are formed into shape by hammering or hand forging. These types of woks are better-quality

WOKS GO WAY BACK

Tane and her late husband Albert started the store, originally a gift shop, in 1968 with wares from China.She says the wok and Chinese food rage started after then-U.S. President Nixon went to China in 1972.

“Non Asians were interested in wok cooking [but] woks were only in Chinese grocery stores, which were quite intimidating to Westerners. So, I started carrying woks, and everything to do with cooking.”

Indeed, her store is stocked with pans, utensils, chinaware, tea accessories and all kinds of baskets for steaming and serving – in the heart of Chinatown.Tane says there’s more interest in “authentic” woks here in North America.

“There’s big interest in cast-iron, natural woks, no more of this non-stick surfaces. The public is now very well aware and are informed as to a wok having to be seasoned and the older and blacker, the better.”

She says she sells about 10,000 woks every year and people become very attached to their woks. In some cases, the woks last longer than marriages.

By the way, Tane’s daughter spent a spell in China a few years ago as a Peace Corps volunteer. The Chinese insisted on providing a non-stick wok for her to cook with, insisting that it was higher class and that no person from North America would want to cook like a peasant with the cast iron version.

Tane says the Chinese are switching to non-stick while people in the West are opting for the traditional cast-iron.

The copyright of the article Mom's Cast Iron Wok: The Best Wok? in Asian Cuisine is owned by June Chua. Permission to republish Mom's Cast Iron Wok: The Best Wok? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Oct 7, 2008 8:47 AM

Guest :

For the last part, the mentality of 'Grass is greener on the other side' or ' the western moon is rounder and brighter' hold true to most Chinese never been out of their country. I really feel sorry for them . I am proud to be a Chinese.

Nov 19, 2008 3:02 AM

Guest :

It's ok if they want to use non-stick. Americans used to use cast iron pans all the time, but, so many people didn't know how to care for them, and even more wanted to lower their fat intake, so the non-stick became the standard American pan. The cast iron companies went out of business, while the nonstick companies thrived. China's going to go through the same thing.

Feb 8, 2009 3:07 AM

Guest :

I bought a cast iron wok from the wokshop.com and took the time to season it.. I must say its the most treasured cooking utensil in my house.. That wok is used only for my best recipes..no mundane food.. its reserved only for the best. I must say that any good food touching anything less is a crime. I have tried all sorts of non-stick alternatives and a good old fashioned cast iron wok perfectly seasoned is the only way to go. I have been cooking with a good old fashioned cast iron wok since I was a small child (my cooking experience started early) I remember when moving out on my own I went a few years without one and felt lost. It was a priority purchase as soon as I realized how much I missed having one.

Sep 3, 2009 9:53 AM

Yuen Kit Mun :

I've read that the Kukri, the "Gurkha knife", is not considered anything special in Nepal. To the Nepalese, it's just a knife that they use for everyday tasks. Whereas outsiders look upon the Kukri with awe, almost similar to the respect that is given to samurai swords (which the Japanese themselves do value highly).

For Chinese families, the wok is just like a skillet, an every day cooking tool. I used to fry eggs on my mother's cast iron wok. It's no big deal.