Seasoning wok before every use?

[Delat]

I’ve been watching some wok videos and the chefs go through a seasoning ritual before every use - they heat the wok, dump in a full ladle of oil, swish it around, then toss the oil. Then they add fresh oil to actually cook.

I’ve never done this and I’m wondering what the advantage is? Does the initial oil suffer from off flavors? I do swish my oil around, but instead of tossing it I just add my ingredients and proceed with cooking.

 

[Koop]

Interesting observation. I wipe my wok with food grade mineral oil after cleaning, then wipe with a paper towel before the next use. I add oil - olive or sesame or whatnot, swish and cook with the oil. Now I wonder if I could be doing something better?

 

[Delat]

Check this one at the 1:20 mark for an example.

 

[Michi]

I don't think it's strictly necessary to do this. When I put my wok away, I always leave a light oil film behind to stop it from rusting. That oil film re-enforces the seasoning when I cook next time. I just let the wok heat up, then add oil as usual, and start cooking.

 

[MarcelNL]

same here, my wok never sees soap so I hardly need to oil it after cleaning (lots of very hot water and a stainless scouring pad). Not sure why they do it, perhaps to get rid of flavors lingering in the oil from the last recipe...as in washing out the previous set of flavors? I do that sometimes after cooking with fermented broad bean and chilli paste, which is pretty pungent.

 

[Delat]

Here’s another one from Weissman at 3:33, and his wok looks pristine to start with. Seems like all the wok cooking videos I’ve seen from non-amateurs do it. Or maybe they only do it when the camera is running

 

[natto]

After seasoning the oil can be pretty hot. Oil change might be about adjusting the temperature.

 

[Michi]

After seasoning the oil can be pretty hot. Oil change might be about adjusting the temperature.

That sort of makes sense. I've watched a lot of videos where the oil is heated initially and then replaced. But, usually, the first lot of oil gets poured into the same vessel that the second lot of oil comes out of. So it's obviously not done because the first lot would taste bad.

 

[boomchakabowwow]

i dump in oil get it hot and either swirl the oil up the sides with the back of the spoon or the sides of the spatula and go to work.

i learned the back of spoon thing from that School of Wok dude Jeremy.

 

[btbyrd]

It's a technique called longyau or huaguo. The purpose is to coat the interior of the wok with hot oil to create a nonstick surface to fry upon. This is different from seasoning the wok, which involves polymerizing a very thin layer of oil by taking it past its smoke point.

 

[Delat]

It's a technique called longyau or huaguo. The purpose is to coat the interior of the wok with hot oil to create a nonstick surface to fry upon. This is different from seasoning the wok, which involves polymerizing a very thin layer of oil by taking it past its smoke point.

But why toss the oil instead of leaving it in for cooking?

 

[stringer]

But why toss the oil instead of leaving it in for cooking?

The idea is you put more than you need in. Swirl to coat and then get rid of the excess.

 

[Delat]

The idea is you put more than you need in. Swirl to coat and then get rid of the excess.

In the videos I posted they’re tossing all the oil then immediately adding the same amount of fresh oil. I’m still puzzled as I don’t think any of my Chinese cookbooks ever mentioned this procedure for woks. I might have to try it a few times just to see if it makes a difference.

 

[stringer]

In the videos I posted they’re tossing all the oil then immediately adding the same amount of fresh oil. I’m still puzzled as I don’t think any of my Chinese cookbooks ever mentioned this procedure for woks. I might have to try it a few times just to see if it makes a difference.

My other thought is they are trying to control the temperature. The wok might be too hot with the first oil so they get rid of it and add more oil, taking some of the heat away. This is just a guess. But I do it for frying pans.

 

[parbaked]

As previously mentioned, it is done to coat the entire wok efficiently. The amount of oil that is then added for cooking is determined by the dish to be prepared. It is usually less oil and not enough to efficiently coat the entire wok.

 

[Renzwerkz]

I’ve been watching some wok videos and the chefs go through a seasoning ritual before every use - they heat the wok, dump in a full ladle of oil, swish it around, then toss the oil. Then they add fresh oil to actually cook.

I’ve never done this and I’m wondering what the advantage is? Does the initial oil suffer from off flavors? I do swish my oil around, but instead of tossing it I just add my ingredients and proceed with cooking.

It prevent the wok to be sticky...
And there's a pre-seasoned process as well when its brand new, to make it tougher and dense the steel when mostly a good quality wok is carbon steel..
I attached my video on well-seasoned wok ready to go...

 

[Lizzardborn]

Pouring just half of the oil is more dangerous than just all of it. And if you over or undershoot you have to add oil or second pour off. So if is more safe, reliable and fast to just dump and add fresh. And this way you know your whole working area is properly oiled.

And it is done - well mostly because they can. After all the seasoning can both be damaged by overheathing or just by using the metal spatula, acids etc. Swirl some oil on preheated wok - some film instantly polymerizes so you fix it.

Chinese cooking demystified noticed that you actually don't have to pour the oil away in home cooking. You just throw cold oil, swirl it with the ladle and then dump your first ingredients.

My very limited experience shows that it completely solves the protein sticking problem.

 

[MarcelNL]

Once the wok is properly seasoned I never do anything else than pouring in oil, distribute it while heating and start cooking. Never have issues with stickiness other than when added sugar ( I use palm sugar or coconut flower sugar in very low Qties) caramelizes towards the end of cooking when I reduce a sauce a tad too far.

 

[kpham12]

Check this one at the 1:20 mark for an example.

To echo others in this thread, the big scoop of oil at the beginning is poured into the already hot wok and swirled around to form a thin nonstick layer and the excess is dumped out. If you leave it in too long as the wok keeps heating up and the oil hits its smoking point, the excess oil forms a sticky residue. Then the second scoop of oil is added and quickly heats up because of how hot the industrial burners are that are used with woks and the food is added quickly right after. It’s all about heat control and speed.

In the video, you can see the faucet up above the wok. In a restaurant, after each dish cooked in the wok, they will take the cooking ladle and use it to swing the faucet over above the wok and then throw a piece of steel wool or other abrasive in there and move it around with the ladle with the burner still going. The hot water and steel wool clean any residue and then they just pour the water out and it drains off down the grates. Then the wok quickly dries up and then they add the next scoop of oil, swirl around and dump out the excess, forming a new nonstick layer for the next dish and it’s literally rinse and repeat for hundreds of dishes a day. This process is less necessary for a designated wok that will only be used for something like fried rice where there’s no sauce/residue that really needs to be cleaned up in between orders. It’s also not necessary for cooking at home where you’re only using the wok for one dish usually and you can cook at your own pace.

Side note, Chinese chefs/cooks tend to be super skinny/lean, but have crazy wrist/forearm/upper body strength from handling a heavy wok all day, everyday. If any try and bet you money or a 6 pack of Heineken that they can beat you in arm wrestling, don’t take the bet.

Source: worked in a Chinese restaurant

 

[daveb]

Showmanship?

 

[boomchakabowwow]

i do something similar to my grill grates right before use. get it hot, and wipe with oil.

and my skillets. get hot, and move some oil around.,