The very best stir-fries will have a hint of what is called Wok Hei, or the “breath of the wok“. This is a complex smoky flavour that is only achieved by cooking fresh ingredients over extreme heat, meaning that the flavour develops while simultaneously retaining the textural crunch. Lotus Rock’s construction and coating configuration is ideally suited for a stir wok to impart the types of flavours and tastes associated with Wok Hei.
Unlike non-stick coated stir woks, a Lotus Rock stir wok has very high heat resistance (it can reach temperatures of 350 degrees centigrate, in contrast a non-stick coating generally starts to expire around 260 degrees centigrade). For excellent stir frying a wok should be heated gradually so that it reaches a very high temperature just before the oil, raw vegetables and meat are added. It is only with a hot wok that the flavour and tastes of Wok Hei can be imparted on food during stir frying.
Easy and safe handling is essential for proper stir frying, especially when cooking over a very high heat to create the flavours associated with Wok Hei. While a cast iron wok can be cumbersome and difficult to lift, a Lotus Rock wok is thick enough not to warp easily under high heat but is still not so heavy that the wok can be lifted to toss ingredients quickly.
For an excellent stir fry, to impart delicious flavours such as Wok Hei, the wok must maintain a high heat at all times. The various different ingredients for the stir fry, whether it is a protein, vegetable or aromatic should never stream in their own juices, but instead be seared to impart a special caramelized and smoky flavor. In contrast to stainless steel, which takes a long time to heat up and cool down, all Lotus Rock woks are made with heavy gauge carbon steel, which is excellent at absorbing and retaining heat for an all-round excellent, stir-fry Wok Hei effect.
