Woks & Wok Pans

What is the difference between a wok and a wok pan?

To make the original wok suitable for Western households, the wok pan was created, which has a flattened bottom so that it can also be used on electric stoves with hot plates or glass ceramic hobs. As you can see, there is technically a formal difference between a wok and a wok pan. Our manufacturers usually use the common and shorter term "wok" as the article designation for their products, and we have adopted this in the Butch Shop.

What is wok hei?

In the countries of origin, the wok is traditionally used on open fire, special gas burners, or electric cookers. The completely round shape makes sense here, as the wok does not need a flat base on these special heat sources. These also develop greater power than a Western stove. However, the characteristic aroma, known as "wok hei," can only be achieved with high heat, if you will. It describes a very unique taste that is described as intense, highly aromatic, and slightly smoky. The experts among us know that the so-called Maillard reaction is responsible for this from a chemical point of view, which provides the typical roasted aromas. Since our Western stoves are not designed to provide this high power, original Asian dishes will not taste exactly like they do in their home country or in an Asian restaurant. But honestly, we believe that this does not detract from the joy of using a good wok pan, and you can conjure up extremely delicious creations with it. And with a little practice in handling one of our woks, you will also be able to achieve a more than satisfactory approximation of the wok hei aroma.

What is meant by "stir-frying"?

Stir-frying is the method of preparing food in a wok. The ingredients are constantly moved back and forth in the wok, and the pan itself is also in motion, shaken and the contents are tossed. The chopped ingredients can be evenly fried at high temperature within a short time. The placement of the ingredients in the wok - in the middle or on the outer edge - as well as the correct order are important. The ingredients with the longest cooking time, such as meat cubes, are added first, followed by vegetables, and finally seafood such as shrimp. When stir-frying, you push the delicate pieces to the cooler outer edge.

In the middle, the hot zone, you sizzle fish and meat. This is also where the broth collects, in which you finish cooking the ingredients by constantly stirring, or sautéing. By the way - this terminology also explains the relationship of the wok to the Sauteuse. A Sauteuse is basically a wok with a flat bottom. Or vice versa: A wok is actually nothing more than a large, flat Sauteuse. The act of stir-frying is called "stir-frying" in English, and this term probably best describes the whole thing.

For which preparation methods is a wok suitable?

Beyond stir-frying, a wok or wok pan is a real all-rounder. There is probably no more versatile cooking utensil than the wok, because with it you can cook, fry, deep-fry, braise, blanch, steam and even smoke and roast. Stainless steel and enamelled iron woks with lids are best suited as all-rounders. Wok pans made of pure iron like the models of the Mineral B Element series from de Buyer are rather specialists when it comes to "stir-frying".

Cooking: To stay recipe-wise in the Asian corner: Rice, noodles and soups can be cooked in a wok with a lid in the traditional way.

Frying: You can also sear steaks in a wok. Or fish. For this, heavy cast iron woks like our Skeppshult woks are best suited.

Deep-frying: With sufficient oil, the wok becomes a deep fryer, and you can deep-fry food in it.

Steaming: Steaming vegetables also works well with low heat input and little water with the lid closed.

Smoking: Perhaps more for advanced users with the possibility to smoke outdoors, as the smoke smell is difficult to remove from the kitchen and wok. But with a steaming rack, this also works.

Whether cooking, steaming or frying: You can prepare food in a wok in a very low-fat and therefore healthy way, as you only need a small amount of oil or fat. Vegetables stay crisp, tasty and rich in vitamins. Meat gets delicious roasted aromas and is still tender and juicy.

What materials should a wok be made of?

There are woks made of different materials in various designs and qualities. In our Butch Shop we only carry a small but fine selection of wok pans, which we fully stand behind.

Iron

Of course, products from de Buyer are part of the selection. The top brand de Buyer is known for its cookware from professionals for professionals. Here you will find woks made of the archaic material iron, which however need to be seasoned before use. Iron can withstand high temperatures and is therefore ideally suited to create the wok-hei aroma when stir-frying. Iron woks have good heat distribution: while very high temperatures prevail at the bottom, the heat deliberately decreases in the edge areas.

Stainless Steel

We also have stainless steel woks from de Buyer and All Clad on board. Stainless steel alone would have too poor heat distribution and heat storage, but our woks are made of multi-layer material with an aluminum core. They are also ideal for wok cooking, and they score points with their easy-care handling, as they are dishwasher safe.

Enamel

Enamel as a material for a wok is almost perfect. Just a reminder: enamel is glass that is melted onto iron. Wok pans from the brand Riess are heat resistant up to 450° C, they have fast heat conduction and very good heat storage. The glass surface makes the pan easy to care for and aroma-neutral, which means that the pan material does not absorb foreign aromas. With the many, very intensely tasting ingredients in Asian cuisine, this is a real advantage.

Cast Iron

Enameled Cast Iron
Woks from the brand Küchenprofi are made of enameled cast iron. This brings several advantages. Cast iron heats up slower than iron, for example, but has better heat storage. The enamel serves as a kind of non-stick coating and makes cooking more comfortable.

Seasoned Cast Iron
Cast iron as a material has the best frying properties. The woks of the Swedish brand Skeppshult, like all cooking utensils manufactured there, are already seasoned at the factory. So you can start wok cooking right away after receiving it. The heat conduction and distribution in cast iron is optimal. These woks are ideally suited for use beyond stir-frying. You can wonderfully sear, braise and serve in them.

Copper

An unusual material for a wok is copper. However, this is not due to the material properties, as these are unsurpassed, but rather a matter of high price. High-quality copper cookware with a certain material thickness is a costly affair, but probably also the best thing you can get for your home stove …

Which accessories make sense?

Lid

For the so-called pan stirring, you actually only need a good wok. That's it. If you also want to cook, steam and braise with it, then the wok should have a lid. There are lids made of heat-resistant glass, which have the advantage that you can "observe" your food during the cooking process. Cast iron woks often also have a lid made of cast iron, like our Skeppshult model "Noir".

What handle and stem variants are there?

There is a distinction between Cantonese and North Chinese handles on the wok. Cantonese refers to the design with two short, usually loop-shaped handles opposite each other. Shaking the pan works quite well, but swiveling it - between you and me - is a bit tedious. For two-handed carrying, especially of heavy wok pans, these handles are perfect. You can also use woks with Cantonese handles well in the oven, as the loop or stub handles are usually made of metal and can withstand heat well. The space requirement in the oven and cupboard is also much smaller than with woks with a stem handle. The version with a long stem handle is called North Chinese. For us Europeans, this design is quite practical to handle, as we are used to handling a stem handle. However, large woks with a handle often do not fit in the oven, or have stem handles that are insulated with wood for heat insulation and therefore are not allowed in the oven. Therefore, you should consider before buying for which purposes you mainly want to use your wok.

Grid

There are woks with a semi-circular grid for hanging. Here you can "park" ingredients that should not be cooked for too long, for example delicate seafood. The use of such a grid is a matter of taste. Some swear by it, others consider it superfluous. The brand Küchenprofi offers practical wok sets, and here spatulas, lids and grids are already included in the delivery.

How do I clean and care for my wok?

The correct cleaning and care primarily depends on the material. We advise you to read the product information with the article, or under the respective category. Example: Tips for the care of iron woks can be found with the iron pans.

Have we piqued your curiosity? Very nice! Choose YOUR wok here, have it delivered to your home and off you go. We wish you a lot of fun or - in Chinese - "Wán dé kāixīn"!