Stir frying (Chinese: 炒; pinyin: chǎo; Wade–Giles: ch'ao3; Cantonese Yale: cháau) is a cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok. The technique originated in China and in recent centuries has spread into other parts of Asia and the West. It is similar to sautéing in Western cooking technique. Wok frying may have been used as early as the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), although initially for drying grain, not for cooking. It was not until the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) that the wok reached its modern shape and allowed quick cooking in hot oil. However, research indicates that metal woks and stir-frying of dishes were already popular in the Song dynasty (960–1279), and stir-frying as a cooking technique is mentioned in the 6th-century AD Qimin Yaoshu. Stir-frying has been recommended as a healthy and appealing method of preparing vegetables, meats, and fish, provided calories are kept at a reasonable level. The English-language term "stir fry" was coined and introduced in Buwei Yang Chao's How to Cook and Eat in Chinese, first published in 1945, as her translation of the Chinese word chǎo 炒. Although using "stir-fry" as a noun is commonplace in English, in Chinese, chǎo is used as a verb or adjective only.
Technique Broadly speaking, there are two primary techniques: chao and bao. Both techniques use high heat, but chao adds a liquid and the ingredients are softer, whereas bao stir-fries are more crispy because of the Maillard reaction.
Chao technique
The chao (炒) technique is similar to the Western technique of sautéing. There are regional variations in the amount and type of oil, the ratio of oil to other liquids, the combinations of ingredients, the use of hot peppers, and such, but the same basic procedure is followed in all parts of the country. First the wok is heated to a high temperature, and just as or before it smokes, a small amount of cooking oil is added down the side of the wok (a traditional expression is 热锅冷油 "hot wok, cold oil") followed by dry seasonings such as ginger, garlic, scallions, or shallots. The seasonings are tossed with a spatula until they are fragrant; other ingredients are then added, beginning with the ones taking the longest to cook, such as meat or tofu. When the meat and vegetables are nearly cooked, combinations of soy sauce, vinegar, wine, salt, or sugar may be added, along with thickeners such as cornstarch, water chestnut flour, or arrowroot. A single ingredient, especially a vegetable, may be stir-fried without the step of adding another ingredient, or two or more ingredients may be stir-fried to make a single dish. Although large-leaf vegetables, such as cabbage or spinach, do not need to be cut into small pieces, in dishes which combine ingredients, they should all be cut to roughly the same size and shape.
Wok hei
Wok hei (simplified Chinese: 镬气; traditional Chinese: 鑊氣; Jyutping: wok6 hei3) romanization is based on the Cantonese Chinese pronunciation of the phrase; when literally translated into English, it can be translated as 'wok thermal radiation' or, metaphorically, as the 'breath of the wok'. The phrase "breath of a wok" is a poetic translation Grace Young first coined in her cookbook The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen. In her book The Breath of a Wok, Young further explores the ideas and concepts of wok hei. An essay called "Wok Hay: The Breath of a Wok" explains how the definition of wok hei varies among cooks and how difficult it is to translate the term. Some define it as the "taste of the wok," a "harmony of taste," etc.: "I think of wok hay as the breath of a wok—when a wok breathes energy into a stir fry, giving foods a unique concentrated flavor and aroma." When read in Mandarin, the second character is transliterated as qi (ch'i according to its Wade-Giles romanization, so wok hei is sometimes rendered as wok chi in Western cookbooks) is the flavour, tastes, and "essence" imparted by a hot wok on food during stir-frying. Out of the Eight Culinary Traditions of China, wok hei is encountered the most in Cantonese cuisine, whereas it may not even be an accepted concept in some of the others. To impart wok hei the traditional way, the food is cooked in a seasoned wok over a high flame while being stirred and tossed quickly. The distinct taste of wok hei is partially imbued into the metal of the wok itself from previous cooking sessions and brought out again when cooking over high heat. In practical terms, the flavour imparted by chemical compounds results from caramelization, Maillard reactions, and the partial combustion of oil that comes from charring and searing of the food at very high heat in excess of 200 °C (392 °F). Aside from flavour, wok hei also manifests itself in the texture and smell of the cooked items.
Bao technique
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the bao technique (Chinese: 爆; pinyin: bào; lit. 'pop', 'explosion') of stir-frying on a high flame was typical of cuisine from the northern Chinese province of Shandong. The wok is first heated to a dull red glow over a high fire. The oil, seasonings, and meats are then added in rapid succession. The food is continually tossed, stopping only to add other ingredients such as broths, vegetables, or more seasonings. The purpose of bao is to highlight natural tastes, so minimal seasoning is added. Because of the high heat, bao is ideal for small amounts of food that cook quickly, so the juices do not flow out of the items. Meat is coated with egg white or starch in order to contain the juices. When the food is cooked, it is poured and ladled out of the wok. The wok must then be quickly rinsed to prevent food residues from charring and burning onto the wok bottom because of residual heat. A larger amount of cooking fat with a high smoke point, such as refined plant oil, is often used in bao. The main ingredients are usually cut into smaller pieces to aid in cooking.
History
In China
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