A new young chef had an idea... He flamed the top of the veggies, using a propane torch, while he stir fried them, in his wok. The torch charred them a bit. It worked. His home dish was now more like a restaurants. He based his idea on what an old chef once said "The food that touches the flame tastes the best". Now, I do it too with my torch.

@AlphaCentauri24

Жыл бұрын

Its called torch hei.

Nothing bad is ever allowed to happen to this man and his family

Best thing on the internet I just discovered. I wish you we released. You are so cool, calm and collected. Peaceful.

@wokwithtak

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

COMMON MISTAKES: 1.using frozen/thawed veg (they hold a lot of extra moister and also reduce oil/wok temp). 2.adding to many spices/sauces to early in process which leaves you with a soggy stew dish. 3. adding meats first. if at all possible cook meat and set aside and readd to veg later OR pre coook meat on grill/broiler first.

@big_draws

2 жыл бұрын

When do I add the sauces please? Towards the end perhaps?

@crabtrap

2 жыл бұрын

@@big_draws add sauce (VERY LITTLE) at the last 10sec of the stir fry. DO NOT SIMMER your stirfry

Wonderful instructions. I will apply the lessons I have learned from you. Thank you!

I just bought a nice 12kW outdoor wook set, and I love these videos. I only used it twice so far, but both has been highly successful, and it's in no small way thanks to you, Tak. Also I love your little "stories" :)

@wokwithtak

3 жыл бұрын

Great to hear!

Very informative. Thank you.

Awesome! Really learned somethings thank you!

What a wonderful explanation

Really nice.

thanks for your tips

Great

Wonderful and insightful video! I’ve subscribed and look forward to seeing your other videos. I have an outdoor commercial grade propane wok burner and well-seasoned woks that allow me to achieve restaurant/hawker stall Auntie & Uncle-level wok hei, and am always looking to gain more Asian cooking knowledge & experience and improve my wok techniques. Thanks for posting! 🙏🙏🙏

You are the only one that make me subscribed after watching first time.👍

@wokwithtak

3 жыл бұрын

Welcome aboard! I appreciate it. I hope that I could help you with your home cooking, which I consider to be vital for our long term health.

Nice video. Can I ask if a similar thing can be achieved by heating the wok for much longer to get it as hot as possible? Obviously ensuring your wok can handle and retain that heat. How successful did you find this compared to restaurant wok hei, and have you found other better methods yet?

what about adding Shaoxing wine to create flames? I've tried that and I got a bit of the wok hei in chow mein for example.

Great video, I would also think a well seasoned and used wok would help. My thinking is like a well seasoned cast iron pan the wok's and and use would impart some flavor and help with the amount of oil you would have to use and coating from use would impart some flavor.

Very interesting! Adding the salt actually draws the liquid out of the vegetables during the stir frying process. I am very interested in knowing when exactly the sequence of adding the seasoning comes during the whole process. Especially since the extra liquid from the veggies will be released by the salt, would it dampen the wok hei?

@Acolyte47

3 жыл бұрын

If I understand correctly after just having watched this, I suspect refraining from adding salt is in service to protecting the conditions that allow the char and maillard reaction to take place, meaning the controlling of the temperature and moisture level of the wok on a regular-powered stove. I think if the ingredients are charred and browned, it doesn't matter if the wok cools down because the main purpose of the process is complete so you can add it after you are satisfied.

Thank you, very well explained, Ill try to do it at home, but I have an induction stove tho, regards from Mexico

@evelaufer2380

3 жыл бұрын

I use a Duxtop induction stovetop and I had to experiment to learn what my heat settings were like. For example, when Tak says to use the highest setting, there is no way I can cook in a wok at 10. Tak has another video where he demonstrates increasing the heat as you add more food, and that works for me. My canola oil smokes at setting 2, then I keep raising it as I cook, ending up at 5-6 for a dish for two people. My eyes check on the bottom of the wok for guidance - if food moisture builds up in the pan, the stove is not hot enough. I've been cooking in my wok every day for 7 months, and I'm still learning, but every meal tastes incredible. I served this broccoli dish to my "no veggies!" 11-year old granddaughter, and she said it was the best vegetables she ever ate!

@JE-zw2pv

3 жыл бұрын

@@evelaufer2380 the information you gave me is amazing! I've been searching a lot how use a wok with induction and never found anything about it!, I appreciate your comment, thank you so much!

@cheshkat6321

3 жыл бұрын

I cook in a cast iron wok on an induction cooktop. All you have to do is practice on a few small pieces of whatever you want to cook. Write notes if you have to, and stick them to your fridge with magnets. Or download a recipe app. Put a piece or two of carrot in the wok. Not cooking much? Wok too cold, so take the carrot out until it's hot enough. I don't follow anyone's heat instructions unless they use an infrared thermometer. I absolutely recommend one until you are familiar with your wok and different foods. It's different when baking in an oven. I learned a lot of typical heat settings for my induction cooktop just by learning the best temperatures of my Nuwave for a few favorite meals. Easy to figure out that eggs require much less heat than thick steak. But every cooktop is different. I have two, but only use one for cast iron cooking. Don't hesitate to adjust the heat up or down while cooking. A lot of cooks and chefs adjust by pulling the cookware from the burner. You can do that for seconds or a minute if needed for quick adjustment. Or just keep the food moving in the wok. If you are hungry, you will learn quickly and won't waste food. Honestly, pay attention to your senses. Especially that extra one that people don't talk about enough - hungry stomach. My stomach never fails to let me know I am on the right track. But I suffer empty stomach syndrome when I fail to listen to the boss.

@JE-zw2pv

3 жыл бұрын

@@cheshkat6321 thank you!, Didn't think about taking notes nor downloading an app, I'll do it!

@wokwithtak

3 жыл бұрын

Hello Eve, Thank you very much for your comments on you experience with induction stove. It is valuable for me to know as well. I only cook on an induction stove occasionally, but I could see them being the future of cooking stoves. I was on a cruise and toured the ship's kitchen, and I was surprised to find that was no open fire stoves. Everything was induction! They certainly make fabulous and complex meals with induction only.

What about pre coating your subsequent ingredients in oil before transferring them to the wok? Wouldn't you be able to better control the amount oil in your dish?

I'm not sure if this is the same thing, so just so i understand lol but where i work when i watch the chefs cook any stir fry when they toss the food in the wok they have the pan tilted down, As the food is tossed the flame from the wok station kinda kisses the food as its tossed at the front of the pan, and you get this roasted flavor kinda like when something is grilled, is that wok hei? if thats the case could you use a gas blow torch at home and just kind of brush the food with it?

So did it work? I watched with interest as I absolutely love the Wok Hei taste on noodles, you you never mentioned if your mention of soaking with oil worked or not

Hello Tak, can you demonstrate this technique in making home cooked fried rice? Ive been experimenting but can’t get that wok hei flavor in my fried rice. Thanks

What about using overnight rice kept in the fridge? Do we thaw it first or add it directly into the wok?

Hello, very well done, thank you. Its the best explanation on how to achieve Work Hei at home, I've seen. Does Hei in Chinese sound more like Kei? Steve, Manitoba.

@dawnnadir

2 жыл бұрын

Wok Hei (Hay) is Cantonese on English romanization. Hei in Mandarin is Qi. Of course, Cantonese is a more proper authentic "Chinese" language. Kei is a sound romanized in English. What Kei are you referring to?

@renupathak4442

Ай бұрын

Great explanation. Love it

Professor Tak. I have two questions sir: 1). Is the name ‘Tak’ for purposes of this video only as well all others? I love this saying you’ve incorporated into your videos, as to respect others. 2) Also, when you add oil to the wok, do you add to a room temperature wok then as you say gently heat the oil to the proper temperature, or are you adding the oil in a heated wok at a familiar wok temperature that you understand the oil will be close to the smoke point once it enters the wok? For me this is important since my 14” wok is a cast iron wok. I am nervous to add oil to a really hot cast iron wok, and be incorrect about my wok temperature. Thank you so much Professor. You are a benefit to my life sir.

I subscribe because this video.

Wouldn't you need a seasoned wok? From what I read, wok hei is more complicated than just charred food (Kenji Lopez has a great article on NY times). I've been able to create wok hei fried rice, noodles, stir fried chicken etc. with a seasoned carbon steel wok, induction stove on the highest heat and technique learned from chef Kenji Lopez. One portion at a time, soy sauce around the perimeter of the wok, stir frying one ingredient at a time as to not drop the cooking temperature. Using a torch can help too.

@wokwithtak

3 жыл бұрын

I agree with you that wok hei is far more complicated than charring the food ingredients. Here is an earlier video that you might not have seen that I discussed wok hei based on my conversation with a professional chef. kzread.info/dash/bejne/mXh8uqyQgbbYZpc.html. I would love to hear your comments regarding this video. My goal is to help my viewers to see the different alternatives in stir-frying in the wok. I would love to hear more about your approach in creating wok hei with your method. Please feel free to write to me with your comments at wokwithtak@gmal.com. I know that I could learn a great deal from your experiences. BTW, I always use a wok that has been seasoned to create a non-stick surface. You can take a look at this video about my spot seasoning method. kzread.info/dash/bejne/rGRlrrCIns_Kkpc.html Thank you for your comments!

@wokwithtak

3 жыл бұрын

Please write me if you have a chance, as I would love to discuss with your more about your culinary experiences with wok hei. Thank you!

@wokwithtak

3 жыл бұрын

I am always looking for ways to improve my videos in providing useful information for my viewers to improve their stir-frying experiences as well as the flavor of the food that they cook. I have no training in cooking, and my primary interest is to create a home cooking system, which is my FAST Cooking System, where the word FAST is the acronym for flavor chasing, advanced prepping, stir-frying, and template-based cooking to make home cooking practical, efficient, rapid, fusion, economical, creative, and tasty. I call this the PERFECT home cooking solution. PERFECT is the acronym of these seven attributes. I will appreciate any help that I could get to become a better cook! Thank you!

@wokwithtak

3 жыл бұрын

If you are interested in learning more about my FAST Cooking System as well as my background and approach in this project, you can take a look at my website: www.wokwithtak.com. Than you for your interest!

Uncle Tak 😍

Great video, but why did you change their names?

@wokwithtak

3 жыл бұрын

I guess for their privacy, since I did not have a chance to ask for their permissions. For those who has agree, I would use their real names.

I enjoyed the video but I’m still left with the same question I had when I arrived- does wok hei flavor come from the food coming into contact with the flame (char), or is it the smokey flavor given off by the oils in a well seasoned pan? Perhaps it’s both? If so, I would think a stainless steel pan wouldn’t be the best choice for achieving wok hei as it does not hold on to seasoning and thus won’t put off as much smoke.

@JennySimon206

Жыл бұрын

You must have oil to activate flavor. There's a physics principle that applies.

@scottmcintire8634

Жыл бұрын

To my understanding, the well-seasoned wok contributes to the wok hei in that the polymerized layer of oil that adheres to the rough surface of the steel (carbon steel said to be best) would likely partially combust/outgas in the high heat and that ‘wok hei essence’ would infiltrate into the ingredients and add the smoky flavor element. I had also heard from Jeremy Pang (UK’s School of Wok) that additional wok hei can be achieved at home by using high heat with ingredients in amounts that do not overload the wok and draw out the heat too quickly, to cook the ingredients in stages and remove/set aside until recombining near the end of the cooking, and also to deglaze the wok at the end of the ingredient cooking stages with a small amount of water drizzled down the sidewall, which will steam off the cooked-on food/fat residue from the wok’s surface and allow the flavor/aroma to be added back into the food.

Need to cook everything separately to avoid steaming ? Your trying lightly char everything

Might be a bit strange of a question but could i get the characters for wok hei? I am studying mandarin chinese so always like picking up the terms as i go. But your name sounds cantonese so maybe you write in traditional characters?

@wokwithtak

3 жыл бұрын

The character for wok hei is 鑊氣. You are so good! You can tell my name sound Cantonese! It is in Cantonese dialect, because I grew up in Hong Hong. My name in traditional Chinese is 章厚德.

@moldveien1515

3 жыл бұрын

@@wokwithtak thank you so much

@moldveien1515

3 жыл бұрын

@@wokwithtak Well never seen a mandarin speaker write Cheung, they would usually write Chung, also never seen the name Tak with a mandarin speaker. I am still quite new to learning chinese, and sadly I only know mandarin, Nei hou is as much cantonese that I know. Well and Heung gong, but that is pritty simple.

so basically add more oil

Yan

Isn't wok hei the same as burnt smell?

@wokwithtak

3 жыл бұрын

Hello, I tend to agree with you; it is a cross between a hint of burnt smell and the aroma of the food ingredients in a subtle interplay of odors in creating a pleasant and harsh smell at the same time. I have been experimenting in creating such an aroma in the home kitchen. I would love to hear your insight on this. Please write me at wokwithtak@gmail.com, if you would like. Thank you for your comments.

@crabtrap

3 жыл бұрын

@@wokwithtak carmalizing of onions,peppers and a few other veg is what you are looking for. it brings out the sugars and carmalizes them much like molasses. not the same as "burnt" which you get with protiens,meats,nuts etc. though the 'burnt' tast can add a smokey rustic flaver too. they are very differant tastes though

@NeonKue

3 жыл бұрын

It’s more of a toasted smoke smell before complete combustion occurs. Think of grill cooking or toasting bread. You use high heat to toast the food just enough to get that smoke flavor but not completely burn it to a black crisp.

But u didnt say if u had achieved the wok hei. Did you?

You can call me Dean, for the purpose of this video. haha

Add oil....add oil...add oil...加油

such a healthy amount of oil.

For the purpose of this video I say you’re very “long air” lol. Great points though.

@wokwithtak

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I am still learning!

@kho604

3 жыл бұрын

@@wokwithtak I’m just teasing thanks for the great tips

I watched another video from another youtuber uncle/elder and he also mentioned this Danny who had a restaurant in houston... Who is this grandmaster that these youtubers are talking about ahhaha

Tan can cook so can u

Mushrooms a dry ingredient lol lol lol

The only thing I hear is ‘More oil, more oil, more oil’… that’s a lot of oil…

wok hei is the residue of unburnt gas from the stove... just sayin'

Too much story, just get to the point.

this isnt wok 'chi' this is just merely cooking your food till its almost burnt. dear sir you are pretty misguided in your understanding about wok chii. the flavour of wok chii is a totally different dimension from flavours attained through malliard. for those who have never experienced real wok chii will probably make do with your style and be happy with a mildly burnt dish