Why Are Woks Shaped the Way They Are?

Which Woks

• Pot sets often come with one slope-sided pot that has a small bottom, referred to on the box as a wok. While this is the essential shape of a wok, it is made to match the set, and these are not the woks referred to. Traditional woks are made of iron, brass or steel. Large woks have two handles, while smaller, lighter woks may have a long handle to toss. Woks have a very small flat bottom, sometimes only curved, which gradually slopes out to a diameter of 14 to 16 inches on average.

Stir-Fry Benefits

• The sloped sides of the bowl maximize the surface area of the pot, creating maximum work space. The center is lower than the sides, therefore closer to the flame and hotter. Foods can be seared at the center and finished on the sides. This is beneficial to not overcooking the food while conserving the most juices in the bowl. As the juices drain, the seared outside stays crisp while ingredients finish cooking on the sides. Finally a sauce can be thickened in the center, then all the ingredients tossed together to serve.

Frying, Boiling and Candy Making

• While stir-fry is versatile, the wok is no unitasker. The bowl-shaped wok is useful in many other dishes, from Chinese whole fried fish to traditional Thai desserts. The shape promotes convection from the hot bottom up to the top. When frying, the large open top allows maximum evaporation and foods come out crispier. To fry large items like a whole fish, more space is needed, and woks allow added space using about the same amount of oil as straight-sided fryers. Candies, custards, soups and sauces can all be prepared in woks.

Burners

• The curved shape of the wok base is ideal for the ultra hot jetlike cylindrical burners that they are professionally used upon. These industrial power burners are mounted into water tables to help control their intense heat and ease cleaning. The vessel is quite thin, allowing for ease of movement above these narrow burners or a wok ring. Metal wok rings are used instead of the grill on the home range top to have the surface of the wok as close to the flame as possible. Using over gas burners capable of over 10,000 BTUs will yield optimal results.