Wok

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/wok

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the vessel classification?Deep, round-bottomed cooking pan of Chinese origin
2. What is the historical antecedent?Believed to be derived from the South Asian karahi
3. What is a wok and why is it special?A wok is a deep, round-bottomed pan from China that can cook many foods quickly because its shape concentrates heat at the bottom.
4. How does a wok help make food taste yummy?The wok's high heat and quick tossing create a smoky flavor called "wok hei" that adds a tasty, umami taste to dishes.

Wok: A versatile, deep, round-bottomed cooking pan originating from China, integral to numerous Asian culinary traditions.
Wok Hei: The distinctive, complex, smoky, and umami-rich flavor and aroma achieved through high-heat cooking in a wok.
Stir-frying: A high-temperature cooking technique involving rapid tossing and turning of ingredients in a wok to achieve quick, even cooking.
Maillard Reaction: A chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavor and color.