Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. A carbon steel wok is thin and should get quite hot and it responds to changes in heat very quickly. Watery rice. This is a question close to the hearts of chefs in Hong Kong. The material of the wok itself is important. So the aroma you unlocked from the Maillard reaction won't escape," explains The Chairman's Yip. I would still say cooking with a wok is better than cast iron, especially if the wok is well seasoned. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Stay on the top of the best restaurants, offers, lifestyle, and events recommended in our guide cities. When translated into English, wok hei means "breath of the wok", or the effect that occurs that causes the wok to flame up and result in caramelization and the Maillard reaction. Right amount of water moisture in the raw food. wok hei hor fun no horse run the bestest, nowdays hard to find liao knn its not just the fire and heat but the constant 1 hand flipping of the wok damn heavy, how the fuck he can tahan, the forearm power must be sibeh tok kong Happy cooking! On average, the study leaders launched their wok at a speed of 2.7 times per second. It's an issue that sits close to the hearts of Hong Kong's chefs. But you just need to mix at incredible speeds to make sure the heat gets evenly into your ingredients, ”says Ko. When a couple of friends decided to make their local food traditions shine with a unique restaurant and a yearly festival. Watery rice. Throwing a wok is a skill that takes time to develop. The philosophy behind Hakkasan’s modern Cantonese cuisine, Culinary luxury: the Supreme seafood platter at Hakkasan Mayfair, 10 Year Anniversary at Hakkasan Abu Dhabi, Sounds of Hakkasan #0068 hosted by Pathaan. Each bite of the fried rice is still steaming and packed with flavors. But you just need to mix at amazing speeds to make sure that the heat is going into your ingredients uniformly," explains Ko. Cantonese Many Chinese restaurants use iron woks, although iron woks will rust and is more difficult to clean (see article on this site about caring for and seasoning your wok); but both problems do not hinder the restaurant chefs because they use the wok every day. In her 2004 book, “The Breath of a Wok,” Grace Young identifies wok hei as “when a wok breathes energy into a stir-fry, giving foods a unique concentrated flavor and aroma.” Feeling the February blues? Mise en place is a vital aspect of learning to cook professionally. I suggest that you start experimenting with small amount of food (just enough for a small dish). Restaurants across the country serve up feasts for a splurge, for comfort and for something else entirely. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. My gut feeling is that it will be more efficient -- and funnier," says Ko. A menudo se emplea una abundante cantidad de aceite para reforzar el efecto del wok hei, aunque a veces, la cantidad de aceite debe ser controlada de acuerdo a las necesidades del plato, ya que una cantidad inapropiada arruinaría el sabor de la preparación. "Wok hei and the Maillard reaction require high heat. Wok hei translated into English means ‘wok thermal radiation’ or, metaphorically, the ‘breath of the wok’. The Chairman, however, does things a bit differently. The water in the ingredients, coming mainly from any raw vegetables, is important to achieve wok hei but difficult to manually control. Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wok_hei. The cooking oil shouldn’t be added until the wok is screaming hot, and then it should be added cold just before the raw ingredients are added. “Can you imagine a clothes dryer that uses the wok-throwing mechanism to toss clothes? "Wok hei and the Maillard reaction require high heat. “Throwing the wok allows for better mixing, which is essential when you have very high heat. Traditional Chinese woks are made of iron; modern woks are made of lighter metal or stainless steel. This part is difficult to control, but you can experiment with the moisture control by letting the vegetable air-dry for varying amount of time before cooking. The Maillard reaction is a chemical interaction that occurs between amino acids and reducing sugars in food placed under high heat. Why won't stirring suffice? "Tossing the wok allows better mixing, which is essential when you have super high heat. Usually flames will die down within 1-2 seconds. 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. What exactly is "wok's breath" and how does one achieve it? Every bite of fried rice is still steaming and full of flavor. (Literally translated into ‘breath of a wok’, it is the singular ingredient required for the best zi char dish, found in that smoky, flavour-infused oomph after devouring a spoonful of hor fun. You have entered an incorrect email address! And Cantonese chefs are the master of fire and wok.". Therefore, an important part of wok hei – apart from fire and the actual wok – is the chef’s throwing skill. In other parts of China or Asia, even though they used woks, they did not focus on wok hei.