The Cast Iron Wok

There are 2 types of cast iron woks.

Chinese ones which are thin about (3mm) and light weight

Western ones which are thicker (9mm) and heavier in weight

Chinese woks

They are very effective in heat retention, cook food equally and promptly. They are particularly suitable for stir frying or cooking foods at very high temperatures, as they facilitate cooking with little oil, without the food sticking.

still one needs to be careful in handling them as they are relatively fragile and can shatter on being dropped or mishandled.

Western woks

Being relatively heavy in material, makes them take a longer time in getting heated or cooled. This makes temperature regulation difficult while cooking. The heaviness of the wok sometimes makes it difficult to toss food quickly especially in stir frying for short cooks.

Stainless steel woks

although they are the most modern versions in woks, many cooks, particularly Chinese, prefer them the least. As the cooking demands more oil or water in order to prevent the food from sticking and burning. The distinguishing wok flavour is lost due to the divergence in material (steel Vs cast iron).

However, you can also find light weight and inexpensive version in stainless steel. And the best part is that they never need to be seasoned.

Carbon steel on the adverse is also used these days. Being light in weight and good conductor of heat makes them a popular choice.

Again they vary widely in price, style, and quality, based on their making technique.

However the disfavour is that they oft end up with ‘hot spots’. Secondly once their carbonized layer of seasoning gets off, it is gets difficult to reason them. So, there is a need of additional oil to prevent food from sticking and burning.

thus, even with the invention of modern woks, a typical Chinese style cast iron wok if far more suitable for cooking with a variety of techniques.