As home cooks, we rely on our instincts, our knowledge, and our curiosities—but we also have to rely on our tools. Which is why we're asking the experts about the essential tools we need to make our favorite foods attainable in our own kitchens.
Carolyn Phillips (Madame Huang here on Food52), great lover of Chinese food and culture and author of the forthcoming All Under Heaven, shares her kitchen essentials for making Chinese foods at home.
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Contrary to popular belief, you probably can cook many of your favorite Chinese dishes with whatever is already sitting around in your kitchen. But part of the pleasure of making good food is having the right tools for the right job, and as the Chinese have had thousands of years to think about things like this, they’ve come up with some pretty wonderful ways to create delicious things to eat. Here are some of my all-time favorites:
1. Wide knives and heavy cleavers practically symbolize Chinese cooking equipment.
Cleavers are heavy and thick, as they are designed to whack through bones. Chinese knives, though, are thin, light, and easy to wield. I like to have these knives in a variety of widths—2 inches are good for things like vegetables, while blades that are 3 or more inches wide are great for just about everything else. Look for good steel with a sharp edge; the top edge of the blade should extend through the handle for stability. As you try out each knife, look for something that feels comfortable. Hold the blade with your middle, ring, and little fingers while your thumb and forefinger grasp either side of the blade, as this will make the knife an extension of your hand. (This video shows the correct grip.)
More: Tips for building your knife collection.
2. Woks are simply wonderful.
Yes, you can certainly stir-fry, braise, and do any number of other things in nothing fancier than a frying pan or Dutch oven, but a wok is perfectly designed to concentrate all of the heat at the bottom, with gently sloped sides that offer cooler areas for your food to rest. The shape of a wok is also specifically devised to easily toss your foods, which means that with a little practice, you can learn to shake and flip things like meat and vegetables without the need for a spatula.
Northern-style woks have long handles, while southern ones have two looped handles on the top edge. Get a wok made out of hammered steel (nonstick ones are flimsy) that will gain a gorgeous patina as the years pass. Your wok should come with a close-fitting cover and a wok ring if you cook on electric burners.
More: You've got your wok—now it's time to stir-fry.
3. There are at least three different kinds of steamers, and steamed foods are beloved just about everywhere.
Not everything is stir-fried in China, of course. The three main types of steamers are typically so inexpensive that you should considering having them all. Metal basket steamers are shaped much like bamboo basket steamers, but are much easier to clean; bamboo ones, though, are terrific for things like steamed bread, as water does not collect inside them. And when you have something particularly large that needs to be steamed—like a whole fish or chicken—the best way to do this is on a trivet set inside a wide wok with a glass cover; just be sure not to use that wok for stir-frying after that, as the patina will have disappeared. Rinse your wok without soap and then wipe it dry.
4. The two most common utensils used in Chinese cooking are spatulas and ladles.
Wok spatulas basically come in two basic varieties: metal and bamboo. Both are used to toss things around in a wok, but I especially like the metal variety because I can pour things into it and then quickly eyeball whatever it is I’m adding, rather than carefully measure it out. Chinese ladles have lovely basins that are flush with the handle. The best metal spatulas and ladles are made of light stainless steel with wooden grips; avoid the flimsier models that have easily breakable plastic handles. All bamboo spatulas are basically the same: flat and made out of a single piece of carved bamboo. As with all things bamboo and wooden, hand wash these to keep them from cracking.
5. Little casseroles called “sandpots” in Chinese are inexpensive and wonderful to cook with.
The outside of the pot is plain whitish clay, while the inside is usually glazed a dark brown, as is the top of the lid. Metal wire is strung around the outside of the pot in a loose mesh to protect it, but the pots are actually a lot tougher than they look. Sandpots are great for braising, cooking rice, and soups, and they come in a variety of sizes—some with a thick handle on the side and others with two loops on the top. Have the shopkeeper fill the pot with water before you buy it to ensure that it is watertight. Hand wash the pots and lids, and then air dry.
6. Another important cooking vessel comes from the highlands of south-central China: the steampot.
Originating in the province called Yunnan (literally "south of the clouds") the steampot is traditionally made from smooth red clay. What makes it unique is the spout that pokes up in the middle. When a covered steampot is placed over a vat of boiling water, the steam works its way into the pot and cooks the ingredients while forming a delicious broth. The meats slowly poach in this broth, and since it is made mainly out of meat juices, steam, and seasonings, the resulting soup is rich and flavorful. These come in a variety of sizes to fit any type of household.
More: Make steamed and pan-fried pork buns in your wok or steamer.
7. Ginger graters are ingenious things.
Bamboo is cut into rows of sharp teeth that are tacked together on a bamboo frame. When you scrape fresh ginger against these teeth, the soft flesh slithers to the bottom while most of the tough fibers remain attached to the ginger root. I love my ginger grater but treat it with great respect, as these teeth can easily remove my knuckles in the process. Be that as it may, I can think of no better way to make ginger juice than to squeeze the resulting ginger mash over a cup. It’s fast, easy, and much less fuss than a juicer.
8. Chinese rolling pins are simplicity embodied.
They are basically inch-wide dowels of plain wood, so you can make one yourself, if push comes to shove. These pins are around a foot long and have the same diameter all the way around, much like baker’s rolling pins. You can also find ones that are slightly tapered at either end, like a French rolling pin. Wipe them off after using and oil as necessary.
9. Chinese cooks who revel in smoked meats, poultry, and fish typically have a smoker.
Smoked foods are adored throughout much of China, and so many Chinese cooks tend to have a smoker hanging around the kitchen somewhere. You can buy stovetop smokers that work quite well, or you can make one out of an old wok using these directions.
Photos by Bobbi Lin, Alpha Smoot, James Ransom, Linda Xiao, Cynthia of Two Red Bowls
What are your go-to kitchen tools? Tell us in the comments.
Every cooking cuisine has its own cooking equipment particular to them and Chinese cooking is no different. The cooking equipment can be used for other cuisines but makes the food more authentic in taste and presentation.
This is a list of basic equipment that you would need for your Chinese cooking journey. Just the essential basics to get you started, and then everything else.
The Traditional Chinese Wok
These are made from carbon steel and need seasoning before using. once seasoned correctly they are never washed in soap and water. The seasoning of the wok makes it non stick and can withstand high temperatures.
There are now non stick woks available, choose the size according to your needs. If you are cooking for one a small wok will suffice, cooking for a family get a large wok.
A lid also comes in handy for retain heat.
Chinese Clever
Not essential as any good knife will do but the Chinese use it to great effect because of its weight and size. You can easily cut through bone and cartilage because of the weight. It is also used to scoop up the chopped ingredients to transfer to the wok.
image source
Chinese Bamboo Steamer
If you intend to make some classic dim sum then you will need a traditional Chinese bamboo steamer basket. It is also used for steaming fish, cakes, desserts, rice and vegetables.
A healthy way to cook is steaming the food locking in nutrients.
Cutting Boards
A good cutting board is essential in Chinese cookery, especially if you’re using a Chinese cleaver. All the ingredients are prepared in traditional Chinese cooking even before heating the wok. All the ingredients need to be cut to similar sizes so they cook quickly and evenly
Wok Shovel
Not essential but it does help move the ingredients around and stop anything from burning. It is shaped to fit the contour of the wok exactly and also helps serving the food.
A wooden spoon will do but it’s not quite Chinese cooking is it. These are also made from steel so if you don’t have a carbon steel wok then get a plastic/bamboo shovel so you do not damage your non stick wok
Thats all the basic equipment that you would need to start cooking Chinese. Of course there are other pieces of cooking equipment but not essential, let’s have a look at what else the Chinese use to cook.
A rice cooker is an electric cooking utensil that is used for pressure boiling or steaming rice, and other things. Chinese people, especially in southern China, prefer to eat rice as their staple food. They use a rice cooker almost every day. The best egg fried rice is made from steamed rice that is a day old, cook the rice and then just store in the fridge. (3 days max) I find it gives you a better texture once some of the moisture has gone.
Pressure cookers are used for cooking food faster than conventional cooking methods. Some are electric and some use heat from a hob. Pressure cookers can be used to cook many things, including rice, porridge, and spare rib stew.
The bamboo wok brush is an important Chinese cooking utensil to clean the wok effectively, which is especially useful when using woks that are made of sticky materials. The wok brush can properly clean the wok without needing any detergents, while at the same time won’t ruin the wok’s surface.
There are two versions of Chinese ladles, and the first one is called tngsháo. It is mainly used for serving soup or stew from a stewing pot, wok, or slow cooker. They can be made from various materials from stainless steel, aluminum, silver, plastic, and even wood/bamboo.
A Chinese scoop strainer, as the name suggests, is mainly used for straining foods from the surrounding liquids (water, broth, or even oil). It is an important tool in Chinese cooking, and is very convenient to lift a fried fish after it is deep-fried or also to remove noodles, wontons, dumplings, and various dishes from boiling water
The clay pot is a very important utensil in Chinese cooking, with so many clay pot dishes in Chinese cuisine. The clay pots have been around for many centuries and will produce a unique flavor for the dishes cooked in it due to the alkaline nature of the clay. Claw neutralizes the acidity of the food, and so the clay pot acts as a natural sweetener.
The mandoline slicer is a very useful cooking utensil to cut and slice various foods and ingredients in a much faster and convenient way. You can easily slice foods in various thicknesses depending on the needs of the dishes with the mandoline and is essential in various Chinese dishes especially for dishes that are stir-fried.
Long cooking chopsticks are used to manipulate foods and ingredients during boiling or frying, but also to pick up cooked foods that are already cooked from a hot stew pot or wok. The cooking chopsticks are longer than the typical Chinese eating chopsticks and can reach more than 12 inches
A stockpot, is used to make homemade stock which is used in various braised and stewed dishes, among other Chinese cuisines. Also used to make master stocks which are used to flavour other dishes. Foods poached or braised in the master stock are generally referred to as lou mei.
The rolling pin is very important in making Chinese buns, but is also useful in kneading bread, making noodles, dumplings, and all kinds of cakes. There are various rolling pins with various length and thickness, and each of them has different uses.
Happiest in the kitchen feeding the 3 children who are constantly hungry. Lucky enough to have worked in a Pro kitchen on a voluntary basis to learn the tricks of the trade.. Buckinghams The restaurant with one Table. With Chef Nick Buckingham.(RIP)