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Woks which have been made of cast iron tend to rust when not properly seasoned. In the old days, the Chinese seasoned their woks by extracting lard from a kilogram of pork fat more than the stove. That is still the popular system in cafes across Asia. A seasoned iron wok allows food to glide smoothly off its surface and prevents buildup of sticky sauces and food bits. In a regular home kitchen, this system is no longer necessary. There’s a fuss-free approach to giving your wok a non-stick coating.

Things you need to season or re-season a wok:

o Kitchen Paper Towels

o Vegetable cooking oil

1. Wash the wok with detergent and water to get rid of the manufacturer’s protective coating.

2. Heat the wok more than high heat over a stove until it’s thoroughly dry. Decrease the heat to the lowest volume.

3. Pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable cooking oil into the hot wok and rub the wok with a wad of kitchen paper towels.

4. Let the wok absorb the oil for 15 minutes before turning off the heat.

5. When the wok has cooled to room temperature, repeat Steps 3 and 4.

6. Wipe out excess oils with paper towels when the wok has cooled. What you’ll get is a wonderful black sheen from a well-seasoned wok.

7. Repeat this procedure 3 or 4 times much more, or as and when the black sheen wears off.

Woks which can be new might cause a slight metallic taste onto the initial two or three dishes. As a result, most Asian cooks will stir-fry some green vegetables with plenty of cooking oil and then discard them.

Never washed your wok with detergent or steel wool. Just a very good rinse will do. To get rid of sticky residue, soak the cast iron wok in cold water for an hour or so. If will need to, use a cleaning brush produced from coconut husks to scrap off sticky food. If that is not obtainable, use any soft plastic brush.