Seasoning Basics
How to properly season a wok
January 19, 2023
The wok is one of the most important cooking utensils in Chinese cuisine. Its special shape and material are perfectly suited for quickly preparing tasty and healthy dishes.
To get the most from your wok, it’s essential to season it beforehand. Then you’ll be ready to cook all kinds of delicious meals with it!
In this article, we’re going to tell you why and how to season your wok, which oils to use and how to clean it.
At the end, we’ve also listed a few of our favourite wok recipes from our recipe collection. They’re quick and easy to cook and can be adapted to your personal preferences. We’ve also made sure to include vegetarian & vegan options!
Our spice blends will help you turn each of these dishes into a taste sensation!
WHY SEASON A WOK
When talking about seasoning a wok, we don’t mean spicing it up with our spice blends.
Seasoning a wok means creating a protective layer on its surface. This protective layer is also called the “patina”. The patina prevents your food from sticking to the surface and protects the inside of the pan from rust and corrosion.
This protective film is also the reason why wok dishes taste so delicious! It helps to impart flavour into your wok. The flavour and non-stick capabilities improve each time you cook food in your wok. That’s why it’s so important to season your wok before its first use.
Watch out – the seasoning process only applies to cast-iron or carbon steel woks that don’t have a protective coating. If you have a non-stick wok, you don’t need to create an extra protective layer.
BEST OILS TO SEASON A WOK WITH
The wok gets very hot when cooking. Therefore it’s important to use a heat-resistant oil with a high smoking point. These kinds of oils can be used at high temperatures without burning. You shouldn’t cook with or season your wok with an oil that’s heated past its smoking point – or your food will taste burnt. It’s best to avoid unrefined oils with low smoking points, such as olive oil or sesame oil.
Here’s a list of the best wok seasoning oils to use:
- Peanut oil: This oil has a high smoke point (around 232°C) and is commonly used in Asian cooking, making it a great choice for seasoning woks.
- Grapeseed oil: With a smoke point of approximately 216°C, grapeseed oil works well for seasoning due to its neutral flavour and high heat tolerance.
- Sunflower oil: This oil has a smoke point of about 232°C and is relatively inexpensive, making it a practical option for wok seasoning.
- Canola oil (rapeseed oil): Canola oil has a smoke point of around 204°C and is widely available, making it another suitable choice for wok seasoning.
- Avocado oil: This oil boasts a very high smoke point of about 271°C, making it excellent for seasoning and high-heat cooking.
- Vegetable oil: Most generic vegetable oils have a high smoke point (around 205°C) and can be used for seasoning woks.
Hot tip: When cooking with your wok, you don’t need a lot of oil as you should be constantly stirring your dishes.
HOW TO SEASON YOUR WOK
Seasoning a wok is actually not as hard as it sounds. There are many methods for seasoning woks – stovetop seasoning, oven seasoning and salt seasoning are among the most popular methods. In the following section, we’ll go into more detail about the seasoning process on the hob.
Make sure that your wok is clean.
Industrial oil is often used during manufacturing in order to protect the wok during shipping. However, this can leave a film on your wok, which needs to be removed. To do this, just scrub and rinse the wok until the film has completely come off. Thoroughly dry the wok afterwards.
Preheat the wok.
Turn your hob on to its highest heat and preheat the wok until its colour changes. Move your wok around so the heat gets to every side of the wok.
Be careful – the wok will be so hot it starts smoking, so make sure to open a window.
Do a water test.
Splash a drop of water on your wok. If it’s hot enough, the water will evaporate and you can go on to the next step.
Allow your wok to cool down.
Remove your wok from the hob, turn the heat off and wait until you can safely touch your wok again.
Coat your wok with oil.
Put a thin layer of an oil with a high smoke point all over the wok, inside and out. If you don’t have anything to apply it with, you can use a paper towel.
Reheat your wok again.
Allow the oil to reach its smoking point. All sides should get reach smoking point, so you need to tilt and turn your wok. Repeat until all sides have a matte finish.
Let the wok cool down, and you’re done!
The oil layer (or “patina”) will harden on the surface. Now you have a perfectly seasoned wok!
HOW TO CLEAN A WOK
Your wok requires special care to make sure that your seasoning isn’t removed when you clean your wok.
Don’t wash it with soap or chemicals! Just rinse your wok in hot water.
If there are bits of leftover food inside, gently scrub your wok with a soft sponge. Be careful not to scratch it!
Make sure you dry your wok completely. You can use a kitchen towel or gently heat the wok on the stovetop till warm and dry.
BEST WOK RECIPES
Now that you’ve learnt how to season your wok, it’s time to start cooking! You can take a look at our Asian recipe collection for various dishes.
For more inspiration, we’ve picked out the best wok recipes for you:
- Chicken and vegetable stir-fry: Delicious Chinese stir-fry.
- Thai curry with chicken and peanuts: Curry’s always a good idea!
- Vegetable fried rice: An easy fried rice recipe prepared in half an hour.
Remember to cook regularly with your wok. Each time you cook a new dish, you’ll add to the seasoning inside it, helping you create tastier meals.
If you love experimenting in the kitchen, check out our recipe collection! There you’ll find recipes for every occasion – from breakfast to snacks, lunch and dinner. And the best part is you can access all the recipes for free!
BEST SPICE MIXES FOR WOK DISHES
Rice, noodles, vegetables or meat – whatever you cook with a wok tastes delicious.
The most important thing to consider when cooking authentic Asian dishes is choosing the right spices. Our spice blends contain all the flavours and seasonings you need in just one pot – naturally delicious ingredients, no nasties, nothing fake.
Here are a few of our spice mixes that go well with any of your favourite wok dishes:
- Chicken Seasoning: The basic chicken seasoning to build on.
- Garlic Pepper: Goes with so many dishes, adding a spicy garlic hit.
- Extra Spicy Seasoning: Only for people who truly like it hot.
- Vegetable Allrounder: A mild kick of heat and Eastern-forward spices as a base for Chinese dishes.
BECOME A PRO IN THE KITCHEN
In this article, we’ve explained all about seasoning and cooking with woks. To improve your skills in the kitchen further, take a look at our blog. From how to make your chips crispy or how to cook eggs, we have a whole range of interesting articles for you to read!
