Stir fry woks are a necessity if you're interested in authentic Asian cooking. While it is possible top make dishes like chow mein or stir fried vegetables in a traditional frying pan, real stir fry woks offer a lot of benefits. Let's take a look at why they're the better choice for Asian cooking (and many other types of cooking as well).

Qualities and Advantages of Stir Fry Woks

Stir fry woks are recognizable by their large, bowl-like shape. Traditional woks were made with carbon steel, but today you can find woks made from aluminum, stainless steel, and even copper. All of the best Asian chefs, however, won't use anything but carbon steel woks.

The shape of a stir fry wok allows you to do what the name says: stir fry. In normal flat frying pan, all of your meats and vegetables are constantly exposed to the hot oil-covered surface. In a wok, the distinctive shape allows you to stir while you are cooking, mixing the food over itself and allowing for a lighter, faster cooking style. Since you don't have to use as much oil, the food you get out of a wok can taste crisper, lighter, and fresher.

In the old days, woks used to come with two handles--one on each side. Nowadays, most woks are made with a single, long handle. Single-handled woks are great because the handle doesn't heat up. Typically it is covered in wood, which allows you to move the wok around and lift it up easily without worrying about burning your hands.