Wok

Wok
A wok being used for stir frying
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese	镬
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin huò IPA [xu̯ô] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization wohk Jyutping wok6
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese	炒锅
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin chǎoguō

A wok (from Cantonese Chinese: 鑊) is a versatile round-bottomed cooking vessel, originating from China. The use of the wok is very prevalent in South China (particularly Guangdong Province). It is one of the most common cooking utensils in China and also found in parts of East, South and Southeast Asia, as well as becoming a popular niche cookware in all the world.

Woks are used in a range of different Chinese cooking techniques, including stir frying, steaming, pan frying, deep frying, poaching, boiling, braising, searing, stewing, making soup, smoking and roasting nuts. Wok cooking is done with a long handle called chahn (spatula) or hoak (ladle). The long handles of these utensils allow cooks to work with the food without burning their hands.

In Japan the wok is called a chūkanabe (^?, lit. "Chinese pot"). In Indonesia the wok is known as a penggorengan or wajan (also spelled wadjang). In Malaysia it is called a kuali (small wok) or kawah (big wok). Similarly in the Philippines, the wok is known as kawali, while bigger woks used for festivals and gatherings are known as kawa. In India, two varieties of the wok exist: a more traditional Chinese style wok with a wider diameter called the cheena chatti (literally, "Chinese pot" in Malayalam and Tamil), and a slightly deeper vessel with a narrower diameter and a similar shape, known as a karahi.