My First Wok

My brand new steel wok

Needed a new wok, as my  old Teflon wok has worn out.  Off I went to my neighborhood supplies store. This time I wanted to get a 14 inch traditional Chinese steel wok. Picked one with the right weight and made sure I had a good "feel" towards it. ( Just my way of looking for a good wok) not necessarily based on any logic, just my feel.

The guy that runs the place looked at me and asked if I run a food business, I said no; he then refused to sell me the wok. He said if you are not in the food business I can't sell you this wok.

Oh well, I thought, maybe he had his reasons, but I was still a little curious as why he refused to sell me the wok. He then came over to me and asked me nicely,

"Do you know how to use this wok?";

"Yes"

" Ok, tell me, how?"

"with care and love"  I grinned, " of course I know how to handle it" and in Chinese I told him "open (cure)  the wok first before I start using it lah"

"how, tell me how" ; he started his test...

ok this is how to cure a wok. I told him not in such details here but rather animated when trying to explain to him.

1. Fire up, heat up the wok until it get real smokey and black. ( gotta be careful of this step if you are trying this at home, make sure you open up all the windows, it's going to be really smokey and stinky)
2. Bring it over to the sink spray cold water over it and hear the sizzle. (this is the fine part I like, because it sound like teppan yaki yummy except no food)
3. Dry it up with a paper towel.
4. Bring it back to the stove, this time spread some oil about 2 teaspoon on the wok, make sure that you cover the whole wok.
5. Heat it up real hot, if you like start frying cut onions or garlic, make sure no water. This is the fun part, just keep on frying until the whole house is filled with the aroma. (My mum actually came into the kitchen and asked what I was cooking for dinner)
6. Get rid of the onions and garlic. Don't clean the wok, drop 2 more teaspoon of oil into the wok, use a paper towel, or a Japanese Oil brush that I bought from Daiso, spread it evenly throughout the wok.
7. Leave it. Don't wash it off until you want to use. ( This is prevent the wok from rusting)

Finally he said, " You pass, ok can sell you the wok now."

It may sound strange and even funny, but not when he tells why had to ask. He told me that alot of young couple in Singapore would run back to his shop the next and demand for a refund, because the wok rusted after the first wash, and would you believe it, they will make a consumer report if no refund is made. And when he tried to explain, most of them will just brush him off and say he is lying.

Some people can be so smart yet so naive.

PS:  For those who would like to try out a traditional Chinese wok, you can "cure" it by taking it over to your regular Tze Char (local places for good woki food)  store and ask them to do it for you. Whether they charge or not, that depends how long you have known them.