Knowra Stir-frying Stir-frying Stir-frying cooks small pieces of food rapidly over high heat while they are stirred or tossed in a pan. The method combines quick heat transfer with frequent movement.
Wok : A deep, round-bottomed cooking pan designed for high-heat cooking and rapid movement of food. Its sloped sides let food move between the hottest center and cooler edges.
Knife skills : Techniques for cutting ingredients safely and consistently with knives. Uniform, small cuts help ingredients cook rapidly and evenly in the pan.
Chinese cuisine : The diverse culinary traditions of China, shaped by regional ingredients, techniques, and histories. Stir-frying is a foundational technique across many Chinese regional cooking traditions.
Vegetable stir-fry : A dish of vegetables cooked quickly in a hot pan with frequent stirring or tossing. Vegetables show how varied textures can be managed through cut size and cooking order.
Deep frying : A cooking method that submerges food in hot fat. Unlike stir-frying, it cooks food through immersion in oil rather than contact with a pan and a small amount of fat.
Maillard reaction : A set of chemical reactions between amino acids and reducing sugars that creates browned flavors and aromas. Dry surfaces and intense heat produce the savory browning associated with well-seared ingredients.
Cooking oil : Fat used to transfer heat, prevent sticking, or add flavor during cooking. A thin layer of oil helps conduct heat between the pan and ingredients.
Han dynasty : A Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 206 BCE to 220 CE. Iron cookware and fuel practices associated with early imperial China helped enable pan cooking.
Beef and broccoli : A Chinese-American dish combining sliced beef and broccoli in a savory sauce. This takeout staple demonstrates how seared meat, vegetables, and sauce are combined in one pan.
Sautéing : A method of cooking food quickly in a small amount of fat in a relatively shallow pan. The methods overlap, but stir-frying commonly uses a wok and more continuous movement over higher heat.
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