Stir frying

Lore & Background

Wok frying may have been used as early as the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), although initially for drying grain, not for cooking. It was not until the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) that the wok reached its modern shape and allowed quick cooking in hot oil.

However, research indicates that metal woks and stir-frying of dishes were already popular in the Song dynasty (960–1279), and stir-frying as a cooking technique is mentioned in the 6th-century AD Qimin Yaoshu. The English-language term 'stir fry' appears in earlier sources such as the 1938 book Chinese Cookery by M. P. Lee, though it was popularized by Buwei Yang Chao's 1945 book How to Cook and Eat in Chinese as her translation of the Chinese word chǎo 炒. Although using 'stir-fry' as a noun is commonplace in English, in Chinese, chǎo is used as a verb or adjective only.

Reader's Guide

Broadly speaking, there are two primary techniques: chao and bao. Both techniques use high heat, but chao adds a liquid and the ingredients are softer, whereas bao stir-fries are more crispy because of the Maillard reaction. The chao technique is similar to the Western technique of sautéing. First the wok is heated to a high temperature, and just as or before it smokes, a small amount of cooking oil is added down the side of the wok followed by dry seasonings such as ginger, garlic, scallions, or shallots.

The seasonings are tossed with a spatula until they are fragrant; other ingredients are then added, beginning with the ones taking the longest to cook, such as meat or tofu. When the meat and vegetables are nearly cooked, combinations of soy sauce, vinegar, wine, salt, or sugar may be added, along with thickeners such as cornstarch, water chestnut flour, or arrowroot. In the bao technique, the wok is first heated to a dull red glow over a high fire. The oil, seasonings, and meats are then added in rapid succession.

The food is continually tossed, stopping only to add other ingredients such as broths, vegetables, or more seasonings. The purpose of bao is to highlight natural tastes, so minimal seasoning is added. Meat is coated with egg white or starch in order to contain the juices.

When the food is cooked, it is poured and ladled out of the wok. The wok must then be quickly rinsed to prevent food residues from charring and burning onto the wok bottom because of residual heat. A larger amount of cooking fat with a high smoke point, such as refined plant oil, is often used in bao. The main ingredients are usually cut into smaller pieces to aid in cooking.