Benefits of Cooking with an Iron Wok and How to Use It Correctly

Benefits of Cooking with an Iron Wok

Cooking with an iron wok can supplement iron intake. At high temperatures, a small amount of iron from the wok seeps into the food, thus objectively providing iron supplementation.

Using an iron wok allows you to use less oil. Over time, the surface of the iron wok naturally develops a layer of oil sheen, which basically acts like a non-stick surface. You don't need to add much oil when cooking, thereby avoiding excessive intake of cooking oil. When cleaning the iron wok, there is no need to use detergent; just scrub it clean with hot water and a stiff brush, then dry it completely.

Traditional iron woks can avoid the potential harmful effects of chemicals found in non-stick coatings. Non-stick coatings usually contain polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which may harm the liver, affect growth and development, and even be carcinogenic. Some studies also show that this chemical may cause women to enter menopause prematurely. When cooking with non-stick pans, PTFE can volatilize into gas at high temperatures and be inhaled with cooking fumes. Additionally, scraping the non-stick surface with utensils can cause PTFE to flake off into the food, which is then ingested. Traditional iron woks do not have this chemical coating, so this risk does not exist.

Next, let me teach you some tips for using an iron wok.

Correct Methods for Using an Iron Wok

After cooking a dish, scrub the wok once before cooking the next dish. After each meal, you must clean the inside of the wok and dry it to prevent rust, which produces iron oxide harmful to health.

Try to avoid using the iron wok to cook soup.

Do not store food overnight in an iron wok, because under acidic conditions, iron can leach out and destroy the vitamin C in the food.

Use as little detergent as possible when scrubbing the wok. If there is slight rust inside, vinegar can be used for cleaning.

Do not use iron woks that are severely rusted, shedding black residue, or have black peeling.

Precautions for Using an Iron Wok

Avoid food discoloration. When a new iron wok is used for the first time, it can turn food black. To prevent this, you can rub the wok several times with tofu dregs before cooking. Alternatively, you can season the wok with oil before first use. Method: pour in an appropriate amount of oil, heat until hot, turn off the heat, rotate the wok so the oil coats the walls, then after the oil cools, rinse with water.

Remove fishy odors from the iron wok. After cooking fish or other ingredients with strong odors, the wok can retain the smell. To remove it, put a small amount of tea leaves in the wok, add water, and boil briefly; the odor will be eliminated.

Remove the iron taste from the iron wok. New iron woks have a metallic taste. A simple way to remove it is to boil some yam peels in the wok for a while, then discard them and wash the wok; the iron taste will be gone.

Remove grease buildup from the iron wok. After prolonged use, burnt oil residue accumulates and is hard to clean even with alkali or detergents. What to do? Just boil fresh pear peels in the wok with water; the residue will come off easily.

When cooking with an iron wok, don't forget the above precautions.