Would you know a bain-marie from a beurre manié, or a belanga from belacan? Brush up on your food terminology with us, from commonplace colloquialisms to obscure obsessions, as we demystify culinary lingo in our fortnightly Kitchen Language section.
What is wok hei?
Stir frying, the cornerstone of Cantonese cooking, is all about wok hei, that complex charred aroma that fleetingly cloaks the piping-hot stir-fries served in Cantonese restaurants. The hallmark of an outstanding chef, wok hei - literally translated as ‘breath of a wok’ - results from a complex interplay of factors that is part science, part art, part magic.
How do you get it?
Traditional woks are made from cast iron or crude iron, and must be seasoned with oil or pork fat before use. With regular use the wok develops a patina of hardened oil that seals off the pores in the steel, preventing food from sticking.
Wok hei can only be achieved under conditions of intense heat, at levels that are difficult to achieve without a commercial cooking range. The wok should always be heated until it just begins to smoke before adding cold oil. Never heat up the oil together with the wok or the food will stick and begin to char.
In a classic stir-fry, the food has to be tossed about non-stop. Exceptional chefs demonstrate their skill by momentarily tossing the cooking flames into their woks. Never crowd the wok with too much food or temperatures will plummet and the food will end up being steamed.
The science behind it
The basis of wok hei is the smoky flavour resulting from caramelisation of sugars, maillard reactions, and smoking of oil — all at temperatures well in excess of traditional western cooking techniques. When individual food pieces or grains of rice are tossed about in this inferno, the searing heat blasts away excess moisture, drying out the surface of the food for maximum caramelisation. The patina of a seasoned wok is made up of polymerised fats, which impart even more charred wok hei aroma during the cooking process.
Usage
“I tried to recreate my favourite hawker’s beef hor fun (links to article about Singapore noodles) by frying it on my induction stove at home, but it didn’t have any wok hei at all.”
Written by Michelin Guide Digital-Hong Kong Macau
FAQs
Many have embarked on the quest to uncover the exact science behind wok hei, and as food writer Lan Lam sums up, most experts attribute it to three main factors: the aroma compounds that are created with searingly hot oil, the chemical interactions between the food and the wok's surface, and the ultra-fast browning and ...
What is the science behind wok hay? ›
Many have embarked on the quest to uncover the exact science behind wok hei, and as food writer Lan Lam sums up, most experts attribute it to three main factors: the aroma compounds that are created with searingly hot oil, the chemical interactions between the food and the wok's surface, and the ultra-fast browning and ...
What is wok hay in Chinese? ›
Wok hay is a Cantonese phrase used to describe a particular essence and aroma that is created in a dish when authentic stir-frying is performed. “Hay” means “energy” or “breath”; therefore, “wok hay” means “the energy or breath of a wok”.
Is it possible to get wok hei at home? ›
To achieve Wok Hei, you need high temperatures above 200°C. The heat ensures that the liquid in the ingredients evaporates quickly. Usually, a cooker in a private household is less suitable for this, as they cannot reach the high temperatures.
How to imitate wok hei? ›
An easy way to approximate wok hei, the inimitable flavor imparted to food with proper wok technique, is to use a blowtorch. Tim Chin is a professional cook and writer who started contributing to Serious Eats in early 2020. He holds a degree in Classic Pastry Arts at The International Culinary Center.
How to get wok hei taste? ›
Wok hei can only be achieved under conditions of intense heat, at levels that are difficult to achieve without a commercial cooking range. The wok should always be heated until it just begins to smoke before adding cold oil. Never heat up the oil together with the wok or the food will stick and begin to char.
What is the English translation of wok hei? ›
Wok hei translated into English means 'wok thermal radiation' or, metaphorically, the 'breath of the wok'.
How hot is wok hei? ›
All of these processes require temperatures as high as 300 degrees celsius, so extreme temperatures are crucial to achieving Wok Hei. This is why constant stirring and tossing is also important when stir-frying, to prevent the food from burning at such high temperatures.
What gives Chinese food the smoky flavor? ›
Adding soy sauce to the center of the wok left the noodles with a raw soy sauce flavor, while drizzling it around the hot edges of the wok created smoky flavors reminiscent of grilled meat.
How do you make stir fry taste like a restaurant? ›
Aromatic ingredients like garlic, ginger, green onions, chilies and spices. These ingredients are typically added to the oil first to infuse it with flavor. You won't need much; a few teaspoons to a tablespoon of total aromatic ingredients per person adds a serious amount of flavor.
“Wok hei is not simply hot food; it's that elusive seared taste that only lasts for a minute or two,” Young wrote.
Can you get wok hei with induction stove? ›
You'll never really get wok hei with induction. It's a mistake to think of a wok as just a differently shaped pan. Proper wok cooking is cooking is actually mechanically different. It's mostly done with the hot air that rises up the side of the wok.
Is stir fry carcinogenic? ›
For example, stir frying increased the risk of lung cancer, while deep frying did not. Other studies have also provided evidence that exposure to cooking oil fumes during pregnancy may have an effect on newborns, by reducing their weight at birth.
Why do Chinese use a wok? ›
A wok is most commonly used for stir-frying, but because of its unique design, it has several other potential uses as well. Since it's so deep, it can be filled with water and used to boil foods, or filled with oil for deep frying. If it comes with a lid, the wok can also be used for steaming vegetables or seafood.
Is wok Chinese healthy? ›
Stir-frying is the heart of healthy wok cooking. The wok's excellent heat distribution ensures that your ingredients cook quickly and evenly. With minimal oil and a focus on fresh, nutrient-rich vegetables, you can create delicious, low-calorie dishes that are as good for your body as they are for your taste buds.
Why is wok hey popular? ›
Hence, WOK HEY sprouted in 2017 as a modern, fast-casual, convenient, take-out only kiosk concept offering tasty, nutritional, value-for-money, customizable fry-to-order wok dishes. As a halal-certified concept, we are able to cater to customers from across all walks of life.
What is the flavour of wok cooking? ›
A wok allows you to constantly toss food through its own vapors, speeding up its cooking, which concentrates flavor and promotes the development of new flavor compounds through the Maillard reaction better than a flat skillet can. The wide rim of a wok factors into another key element of wok hei.
What gives Lo Mein its smoky flavor? ›
The best kind of restaurant-style stir-fried lo mein is subtle in flavor, with plenty of wok hei, the smoky flavor that results from the powerful flame of a restaurant wok burner licking up and over the back of the wok, singeing the oil and noodles.
What is wok hei in Cantonese? ›
The uniqueness of wok cooking is conveyed by the Cantonese term wohkhei: "breath of the wok".
