Mandarin Style Wok

The Wok is an essential tool in Chinese and other Asian Cuisines and our 14” Carbon Steel Mandarin Style Wok is the perfect piece of equipment for stir frying, deep frying, or steaming. Its semi-sphere shape allows the pan’s surface to heat evenly and quickly, and makes the mixing and stirring of foods quicker and easier than a flat pan. The 8 ½ inch wooden handle is riveted in place which makes it sturdy and easy to handle while cooking.

It is believed that it originated somewhere in East Asia sometime between the 10th and 13th centuries. The long stick handle differentiates the Mandarin Style from the Cantonese Style Wok which has two loop handles. The more you use the wok, the more seasoned it will become and impart more flavor on the dish you are cooking. The wok will continue to absorbs new flavors and eventually develop a unique flavor of its own, known in China, as the “breath of the wok.”

Item Number:	CHN-4700-14
Dimensions (inches):
Length:	22.0
Width:	14.0
Height:	4.5
Diameter:	14.0
Capacity:	6 qt
How we measure

Much like a cast iron skillet, a carbon steel wok needs to be seasoned before use. The first step is to remove the manufacturer’s protective oil coating. To do so, wash the wok thoroughly with hot water and a small amount of liquid detergent and a sponge, using a scrubbing pad if necessary. Rinse and dry the wok thoroughly. Before starting the process, choose an oil with a high smoke point such as peanut, canola, or grape-seed oil. The seasoning process will require the oil to burn at a high temperature thereby creating smoke, so make sure you open a window and/or turn on your kitchen hood to ensure you have adequate ventilation.

Use a pastry or BBQ brush and cover the entire inside of the wok with a generous coating of oil, and place the wok on high heat. As the oil begins to burn and turn the pan dark, tilt the pan to cover the sides of the pan as well, being careful that the oil does not spatter towards you. Let the pan cool and remove any excess oil with a paper towel. Heat the wok on high heat again, until smoke is produced, tilting as before. Repeat the above process steps several times until the wok surface turns dark and shiny, and that the wiping it with a paper towel does not leave a black ash on the towel.

To start cooking with your wok, heat it until it begins to smoke before adding oil to the pan. This will open up the pores in the metal, allowing the oil to close them so that the metal does not absorb water during cooking. It also prevents food from sticking to the wok, and aids in producing the highly desirable “patina” which helps to prevent foods from sticking.

The first few times you use the wok, re-season it with one layer of seasoning before returning it to storage. Continue seasoning the wok after each use until the surface remains permanently dark, shiny and non-stick. If at any time notice that the seasoning starts to fade, or if food starts to stick too much to the surface of the pan, re-season it using one of the methods described above.

A benefit to cooking with woks is that they are easy to clean, however, please note that if a carbon steel wok is not cared for properly, IT WILL RUST, therefore, make sure that your wok is properly cleaned and stored after each use. To clean, rinse the wok with hot water, gently scrubbing away any food particles with a sponge or nonmetallic scrubbing pad if necessary. Never clean a seasoned wok with soap or harsh chemicals, unless it is absolutely necessary to meet health regulations. These chemicals will damage the seasoned finish of the wok. Rinse and dry thoroughly. The pan should not be left to air dry, but rather it should be heated to ensure that all moisture has evaporated. After heating the wok, remove it from the heat and add a thin film of oil over the entire surface of the wok using a paper towel (BE CAREFUL; use tongs if the wok is still too hot to handle). Wipe off any residual oil and store until you use again.

Never scrub a carbon steel wok with a metallic scrubbers or abrasive cleansers, otherwise it can damage the seasoned surfaced and will have to be seasoned again. Always hand-wash your wok and never place it in a dishwasher. If rust does appear, simply wash the surface of the wok with hot water, and remove any traces of rust using steel wool if necessary, and re-season it as above.