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Black pepper is rarely used in Chinese cuiusine, so yes, I'd bet on it being white pepper. Depending on the region Sichuan peppercorns are also a possibility, but as I noted they aren't normally a feature of Cantonese cuisine. There are a number of braised dishes in the Chinese kitchen, although it is not as common as in western cooking. I guess the reason for that goes back to the fuel-saving idea that led to the stir-fry wok culture. Braising would have been seen as too fuel-guzzling.

Good input on Ho Fun. This was the first time I've had REALLY good results with the fresh noodles. I got these in the city. Like all the packages, the noodles are always packed so tightly, in layers. This time, I was patient, opened the packages early in the day and let them warm up to room temp. Then I took the time to take the layers apart, then separated each noodle if sticking to each other. The trick IS to separate ALL the noodles. I use my well seasoned 16" carbon steel wok, heated up on Ultra-High on the cook top, coated the bottom and sides with cooking oil, heated the oil until barely smoking, then tossed in ALL the noodles. Tongs are good for turning the noodles with a metal spatula. The noodles didn't stick and I got Wok Hei. Tossed in the other ingredients, then little sloshes of sweet soy sauce at the end. That's all the liquid I used. I was very happy with the results this time. I was giving up on using fresh noodles, and had been using the re-hydrated dry noodles. NO COMPARISON! Now that I've had some success, I can stay with the fresh noodles.

fresh rice noodles are notoriously sticky. For me, I think the key is to only stir fry 1 portion at a time and have your wok be really well seasoned. My wok's seasoning comes and goes a bit (a few weeks ago, I made a curry in it that had a lot of tamarind, and it stripped 80% of the seasoning by the time it finished cooking!) so I personally wouldn't attempt cooking fresh rice noodles right now - or maybe I'd coat them with a little bit of oil before the wok, and a bit more oil than normal in the wok heated to smoking so they don't stick together so bad until you can get them moving. And have your stir fry sauce at the ready to pour on top once you get a bit of char on the bottom.

For employment reasons I am not currently in kitchen toy buying mode at the moment, but I have discovered a weakness in my battery of cookware: Tonight is the third time I've made Mark Bittman's NY Times Crisp-Braised Duck Legs With Aromatic Vegetables. Obviously I like it. Amanda Hesser critiques Bittman's recipe, saying that when she prepared the dish in her Le Creuset, the duck stuck to the pan. She says to use a non-stick pan if you have one. When I cooked the Crisp-Braised Duck Legs the two times before I used my Berdes non-stick wok. This was great except the Berdes exactly does not quite fit in my Anova Prescision Oven. Tonight I decided to try La Creuset. I can't say I was not forewarned. The duck stuck to the pot. It's always great when I achieve the same results as the New York Times. So what I need is an induction compatible (I can't live without my Paragon) non-stick braising vessel that fits in the APO. For the application in question a lid is not required. Thoughts?

I have no first-hand experience, but on an old episode of Cooking Issues they mentioned that commercial induction wok burners can be pretty righteous. The Museum of Food and Drink was doing an exhibit called "Chow: Making The Chinese American Restaurant" and they couldn't use gas in the space so were forced to use induction. Some of the Chinese chefs saw what they'd be cooking on, and being used to high powered gas burners, they raised their eyebrows in suspicion. The chefs changed their tune as soon as they started using the burners. They could apparently take the wok from cold to cherry red hot in no time. This is just an anecdote as reported on a radio show, but that story stuck with me as I was doing research on wok burners at the time. From photos of the MOFAD event, it looks like they were using Garland units.

Interesting. Makes me wonder about old-school commercial wok burners. How many of those 100K+ BTUs are actually making it into the pan? Edited to add: 100,000 btu/hr (typical for a Chinese restaurant) is equal to about 30,000 watts. I'm guessing an induction burner this powerful would turn a wok into a glowing puddle of steel juice in just a couple of seconds.

Yeah I have a wok burner on my cooktop (not the highest end one they make) and the filters on the exhaust fan get disgusting.

In their continuing pursuit, yet another Times' writer writes about wok hei, and also some of her guilt for not being more Chinese? And maybe for not even using a wok... The Smoky Taste of Wok Hei, Without a Wok We have carbonara as often as we do dumplings, cereal for breakfast and P.B. and J. for lunch. In only a generation and a half, it feels as though our ties to our heritage are slipping. I was born in California to parents who had immigrated from Hong Kong and who fed us Cantonese food most nights. When I began cooking for myself, I started with the dishes I grew up eating. But then I had three kids in three years while juggling multiple jobs and struggling to build a career. The demands of real life dictated mealtime, and roasting ingredients on a sheet pan felt easier than stir-frying and steaming. Part of what kept me from reflexively cooking Chinese each night was the belief that I had to stick to the way it had been done, to be “authentic.” In short, to use a wok. And a recipe for that most classic of Chinese vegetables, Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts: Brussels sprouts caramelize to a deep, delicious brown while retaining a fresh bite in minutes when cooked on the stovetop. In this adaptation of wok stir-frying, the sprouts quickly sear in a single layer in a skillet, then steam through with a splash of water to tenderize their tough cores. Crushed garlic cloves release their aroma into the hot oil, but are in chunks big enough to not burn and get bitter. A final sprinkle of sugar, soy sauce and red-pepper flakes give the sprouts a nice balance of sweet, salty and spicy. You can eat this with other stir-fries and steamed rice or alongside any main dish. Leftovers, reheated or cold, can be tossed into grain bowls and salads.

It's true. I've made a few things from Woks of Life and have been pretty happy with it - but I internally cringe when I see them doing that. I understand adding some oil when marinating things - especially ground meats - I find it makes it easier to break up the clumps when they hit the wok - but using sesame oil is just a waste of money.

Yet even websites that should know better repeat the myth. It isn't just YouTube. The Woks of Life, The Spruce Eats etc.

I bought and used my wok in my pre-eG days. Haven't used it much lately though I was gung ho in using it quite a bit originally. I was told the wok hei would develop over time through use, and it did.

In case you don't know about The Onion's cooking videos (or even if you do), here are a couple to get you started. Links to the rest of them are on the right side of each video. https://www.theonion.com/how-to-make-slow-cooked-russet-potatoes-that-fall-right-1821015185 https://www.theonion.com/perfect-one-pot-six-pan-10-wok-25-baking-sheet-dinne-1820847016

I only scrub the wok clean using a scrubbing brush and lots of dishwashing liquid, then I blue the wok, scrub with water then oil and cook over high heat. Takes about 45 minutes max after that it will naturally begin to develop a good coating but nothing sticks anyway. while I’m sure lots of ways work the simplest is to use the wok and let it happen naturally.

I'm sure that in China woks are cheap. Just keep pitching the used ones out the window.

Yes, but paper woks don't work so well!

Cooking on a wok that has not been properly cleaned from manufacturing greases/coatings is not a wise move. The salt/potatoe skin method mentioned above was instructed to me when I purchase my carbon steel pans from Matfer Bourgeat. You could see the grime coming off of the steel onto the mixture. From there, it's up to you if you want to start cooking on it. Certainly you will not see the desired results you might expect form a wok - but that depends on how much time you want to invest in properly seasoning it. I have seem many Chinese chefs swear about an initial seasoning process - however with access to 5,000,000,000+ BTU burners, they just roast it openly on the flame - metal turns all shades of black/blue/red and it's done.

I agree with the previous two posts. The best way to season a wok is to use it. And don't worry about your gas ring not being hot enough. 1.4 billion home cooks in China manage just fine with a silmilar set up to yours. See here.

The Wok Shop in San Francisco has a video on youtube about seasoning woks.

Yup. I just ordered "The Breath Of A Wok" today. Andrea Nguyen of Viet World Kitchen .com writes of 'baking' the wok upside down in a coating of 2 teaspoon flaxseed or canola oil at 425°f for 30 minutes, allow to cool in oven for 15-30 minutes, then remove and let sit for 45 minutes. Then she cooks an onion in it for 10 minutes til charred. This is immensely better than range-top curing. Splendid!

Im a gib fan of Grace Young 1 Ive seen the ginger scallion before , maybe from https://www.amazon.com/Breath-Wok-Grace-Young/dp/0743238273/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+breath+of+the+wok&qid=1633544310&sr=8-1 might fine book , but im not sure what the ginger // scallions do but Im betting its be done a try-zillion time in China Thin Thin Thin Thin is your CoPilot. thicker then TTTT will not polymerize easIly and just burn off . and last for ' some time ' take your time , and TTTTTTY. enjoy ! very interring the handle comes off Nice hope the ' stem ' is OK dont oil that just guessing enjoy even more !

Most helpful, Rotuts! I don't mind removing the handle - I've already checked out if it's doable, now especially since you are recommending curing the wok in an oven. Flaxseed bottle is brand-new. At what temperature do I set my oven? I have a Café™ Gas 5-burner range and convection bake/roast oven, with a decent hood exhaust. If you say "hot, hot" maybe 450°f? How long at temperature does the wok stay in there before the next thin,thin coating? Do I let it cool a little first? Does it matter? Also, no sanding or scratching the steel - bloody glad I asked! That was gleaned probably from a "Re-store Your Rusty Wok" page somewhere - it's been a blur, really. To wit: this from Grace Young: New woks have a thin factory coating that must be removed before the first use. To do this, wash the wok inside and out with a stainless-steel scrubber, dish soap, and hot water. Rinse and dry it over low heat. Next, season the wok to protect against rust and start a patina. Turn on the exhaust fan, open the kitchen window (it’s difficult to remove all of the coating, so any that remains will give off a strong smell as the wok heats), and heat the wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates on contact. Swirl in 2 Tbs. vegetable oil and add 1/2 cup sliced ginger and a bunch of scallions cut into 2-inch pieces. Lower the heat to medium and stir-fry with a metal wok spatula, smearing the ginger and scallions over the entire surface, for 20 minutes-the long stir-fry creates a good patina. Discard the solids, wash the wok with a soft sponge and hot water, and dry over low heat. The seasoning process may change the wok’s interior color-it can have a yellow, black, or blue hue. Every wok reacts differently. See what I mean? Even the instructions that came with the wok said one, maybe two coats, but I want to turbo-charge the patina out of the gate. I guess we'll see what happens!

@johnnyd my few cents : you do not want to scratch the steel , while removing the ' Shipping film ' however , you can fix that up by using the finest wet/dry sandpaper you have im not sure of ' pores ' , but it sounds good ! you can do the whole wok in an over , top and bottom , at the same time just wrap the wood parts w w very wet small towel or clean rag so it does not burn I like flax , if its been kept in a refrigerator or is not too old. if its old , it may have slowly polymerized . it will be ' gunk-ey ' rather than free flowing. the key is to use very very very little oil in each application . the thinner the better , you will just do more coats. 6 might be fine as you will be adding coats as you use the wok for cooking. I can't address if there is a difference for the first coat on hot hot steel or on cold steel then right into the hot hot oven. if you have a weber , might be better to do outside. thin thin thin coats are what you want. congratulations Im sure you are going to enjoy your results

I recently purchased a Craft carbon steel 14", round-bottomed wok. I want to season it properly and there is a wealth of conflicting information about doing so. I've picked out among it all what I believe is a good plan of action but still have a couple questions I bet the eG hive mind can help me answer. I've dug around in our archives and if I've missed anything I'd welcome any links to previous discussions. Opinions, as usual, high and low, are warmly welcome. Equipment: Also on hand is a cast iron wok ring that fits my wide-format gas burner perfectly - this is high setting: So no jet-powered high-output butane here. Punch List: Scrub both sides with Scotch-Brite pad and Dawn soap until no trace of shipping coating remain. People say about a 1/2 hour should do it. True? False? Longer? Use 320-grit metal sandpaper on both sides - this apparently opens the pores so it absorbs the seasoning oil coats. Shall I use coarser/finer grit paper? Do it at all? Remove wooden handle. Set on ring and heat at high setting until (very) hot. ...or just "hot", not "very hot", how about "smoking hot"? Have quarter sheet pan with about 1/4" of good oil - I have flax and grapeseed - Which is better? Using kitchen tongs, wipe balled-up paper towel in sheet-pan oil and apply thinly - and quickly - over entire inside surface. Smoking occurs... When smoking stops, re-apply oil in the same manner - slide wok around ring so the outer edges get heat consistent with the inner bowl. Repeat a bajillion times. No, really, six? Twelve? Twenty times? A set of six, then let cool, then repeat? More questions: When is it safe to apply thin oil layers to the bottom? How many coatings go there? Same as the inside bowl? I'm told the carbon steel changes color, the best being a bluish tint - unlikely owing to the weak gas flame output. What color am I looking for and is it a sign it's ready for a test stir-fry? I've made what I see now are rookie mistakes in the past, like put in peanut oil and leave over night; fry up a pound of bacon, all of which leaves a gross sticky surface. Some YouTube videos have dudes burning the handles, causing oil fires... all more interested in seeing themselves on YouTube rather than seasoning a wok. Intriguing Alternative: Charm the Vietnamese kitchen staff at the Thai place down the street to do it for me....

@KennethT - thanks for that! We're also considering various induction options for our main cooking surface, and you make a really good point about looking at available power levels for those as well. Also good to know that you haven't needed 100% of the output of the burner to stir fry in a flat bottomed wok. I've never had the chance to cook on anything but a low to mid priced 120v induction burner; have been stuck with radiant electric for quite a long time. Might be that we wouldn't end up needing a specialized burner after all. (Or maybe what I need is a butane burner for the occasional non-induction pan!)

There was a restaurant in Hunan that I used to frequent very often. I never really thought about it, until a friend from England came to visit and she had rather low chilli tolerance levels. So I warned the cook to rein it back for my friend. Said friend took one bite and almost screamed. I guess two things happened simultaneously: a) after years of normal Hunan cooking, the wok was infused with chilli heat . b) "no chilli" in Hunan translates as "less than usual, but anything less than volcanic isn't edible!