Carbon steel wok vs nonstick12/3/2023 ![]() Helen: A Flat-bottom fits securely on a burner it’s safer, and more stable. N: What are the benefits of a flat-bottom wok? It took years to educate people on the benefits of a flat-bottom wok. In the early days no one understood it because they hadn’t seen one. Since we had flat stoves in the US, mother developed a wok for this type of stove. In China, they had a stove with a hole and the round-bottom wok sat in the hole, with the base close to the heat source. Helen: Mom was the first person to develop a flat-bottom wok, which is my number one go-to tool still today. N: What cookware and gadgets were essentials for your mom, and are they the same products that are essentials for you? We were living in Cambridge at this time, where I grew up. This was in the 50’s – the pressure cooker was aluminum, as I recall. Gadgets were at a minimum as not many were on the market. She used bamboo chopsticks in cooking, for stirring and picking up pieces. Good knives, both Chinese style and western style, and chopsticks were also important. She wanted a round edge to get into the pan corners and she liked cooking to be quiet. Mother used the pressure cooker pot and wooden spoons. Thinking about the traditional Chinese kitchen, it tends to be a spartan place. This way there were no hot spots high sides enable stirring without food falling out. Mother used a heavy duty pressure cooker pot. Growing up we never had a round-bottom wok, mother didn’t believe in them because she felt it didn’t fit properly on the American stove even with the ring which is used to support the wok when on a regular range, helping direct heat to the bottom of the wok and provide stability. Many times a year we had celebratory food. I can’t remember all 100 dishes now many were specialties from Shanghai where she grew up, and Chinese comfort food, festival foods enjoyed during the dragon boat fest or Chinese New Year. My mother was a fabulous cook, mostly Chinese food. I came up with 100 dishes! In terms of being exposed to food, I was. In terms of food, when I wrote my first cookbook I made a list of all the dishes I remember my mother cooking at home. Nicole Herman: Helen, your mother Joyce Chen was a well-known Asian chef, so you must have been exposed to a lot of great food and cooking equipment while you were growing up. We address the question often asked, “Which is best? A carbon steel wok or a non-stick wok?” I recently had the pleasure of talking with Helen a bit about her heritage, which is covered in the first part of this post, and discussing the pinnacle of her kitchen from childhood to present day - the quintessential wok. The consummate educator, she's candid, personable, speaking in a delightfully up-tempo, animated voice. Not once in the time that I’ve had the privilege of knowing renowned Asian Chef Helen Chen, have I engaged in conversation with her and walked away without wishing I’d captured her lesson on audio tape. Article contributed by Nicole Herman, of HIC
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