The wok has a long history in China. It is thought to have been introduced during the Han dynasty electric wok China, where it was first used to dry grains.
In his 1988 book The Food of China, E. The first woks are little pottery models on the pottery stove models in Han Dynasty tombs. Note that the karahi is sitting on an ordinary burner cover, while the round-bottomed wok is balanced on a wok-ring. The wok’s most distinguishing feature is its shape. Classic woks have a rounded bottom.
Hand-hammered woks are sometimes flipped inside out after being shaped, giving the wok a gentle flare to the edge that makes it easier to push food up onto the sides of the wok. Large woks over a meter wide are mainly used by restaurants or community kitchens for cooking rice or soup, or for boiling water. The most common materials used in making woks today are carbon steel and cast iron. Although the latter was the most common type used in the past, cooks tend to be divided on whether carbon steel or cast iron woks are superior. Currently, carbon steel is the most widely used material, being relatively inexpensive compared with other materials, relatively light in weight, providing quick heat conduction as it has a low heat capacity, and having reasonable durability.
Their light weight makes them easier to lift and quicker to heat. Two types of cast iron woks can be found in the market. Cast iron woks form a more stable carbonized layer of seasoning which makes it less prone to food sticking on the pan. While cast iron woks are superior to carbon steel woks in heat retention and uniform heat distribution, they respond slowly to heat adjustments and are slow to cool once taken off the fire. Steel woks coated with non-stick coatings such as PFA and Teflon, a development originated in Western countries, are now popular in Asia as well.
Woks can also be made from aluminium. The handles for woks come in two styles: loops and stick. Loop handles mounted on opposite sides of the wok are typical in southern China. The twin small loop handles are the most common handle type for woks of all types and materials, and are usually made of bare metal.
Stick handles are long, made of steel, and are usually welded or riveted to the wok basin, or are an actual direct extension of the metal of the basin. Stick handles are popular in northern China, where food in the wok is frequently turned with a tossing motion of the arm and wrist when stir-frying food. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. The wok can be used in a large number of cooking methods.
Boiling: For boiling water, soups, dumplings, or rice. In the latter case, guoba often forms. Braising: Braised dishes are commonly made using woks. Braising is useful when reducing sauces.