Ken Hom

Seasoning a New Wok

Appears in
Chinese Technique
Chinese Technique

By Ken Hom

Published 1981

  • About

Wash the wok thoroughly to remove the coating put on at the factory to keep the surface from rusting. Use an abrasive cleanser to do a thorough job. This is the only time you will use a cleanser on the wok. With a paper towel, rub the entire inside surface of the wok with a vegetable oil. Put the wok on its ring over a low flame, and let it heat slowly for 15 minutes.

Wipe the oil from the inside of the wok with a clean paper towel. Repeat the process—add more oil, heat the wok, then wipe it—until the paper towel comes out clean. This may take five or six repeats.