# Chinese cooking



## Dallis (Jul 31, 2011)

My wife and I love stirfrys and also fried rice and use a cast iron wok over gas flame .the wok is 15 years old and well seasoned,yet we cannot get the taste
to match Chinese restaurant food.we get very close but there seem to be a flavor missing.We buy our ingredients from a Chinese grocer yet feel that something is missing  We would appreciate any assistance and advice that any one can offer.


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## tropical cooker (Jul 31, 2011)

Check this out:

Umami - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But remember that msg may cause certain bad health effects.


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## giggler (Jul 31, 2011)

Sesame oil to finish the sauce?

Eric, Austin Tx.


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## EatLoveMove (Jul 31, 2011)

tropical cooker said:
			
		

> Check this out:
> 
> Umami - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> But remember that msg may cause certain bad health effects.



I agree with tropicalcooker....the only thing you're missing is MSG. In some people it causes allergic reactions, so that's why its not used do much in Western culture.


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## justplainbill (Jul 31, 2011)

Dallis said:


> My wife and I love stirfrys and also fried rice and use a cast iron wok over gas flame .the wok is 15 years old and well seasoned,yet we cannot get the taste
> to match Chinese restaurant food.we get very close but there seem to be a flavor missing.We buy our ingredients from a Chinese grocer yet feel that something is missing  We would appreciate any assistance and advice that any one can offer.


Much Chinese - American cooking is done in carbon steel woks over high btu output gas rings which often have a foot operated flame control valve.  The flame from such gas rings may achieve a maximum height of some 12".


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## Bolas De Fraile (Jul 31, 2011)

MSG ?


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## Selkie (Jul 31, 2011)

Cilantro?


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## powerplantop (Jul 31, 2011)

Dallis said:


> My wife and I love stirfrys and also fried rice and use a cast iron wok over gas flame .the wok is 15 years old and well seasoned,yet we cannot get the taste
> to match Chinese restaurant food.we get very close but there seem to be a flavor missing.We buy our ingredients from a Chinese grocer yet feel that something is missing  We would appreciate any assistance and advice that any one can offer.



My wok collection includes nonstick, stainless steel, carbon steel and a cast iron wok. Now I mostly use the carbon steel and a cast iron woks. The carbon steel one I use the most is flatter is from South America and is called a disco. The cast iron woks are cantonese.

My nonstick and stainless one catch dust now. 

The book that helped me the most is stir fry to the sky's edge. After reading this book my wok cooking greatly improved. I have others that I use but this is the one that got me over the hump. 

I never use MSG. 

I make my own Asian chicken stock and I think that this helps a lot. 

Heat: Depending upon the dish high heat may be required. But not all dishes need extreme heat. I have an outdoor burner that gives a lot of heat. Your wok should be just starting to smoke before you add anything. Then you will need enough heat to bring it back to temp quickly. Then you will get a good sear and not boil your meat. 

Use fresh garlic and ginger. The pre chopped or paste are not the same. 

Here is an easy one you can try. ‪Kung Pao Chicken / Gong Bao Chicken‬‏ - YouTube


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## Hyperion (Jul 31, 2011)

justplainbill said:


> Much Chinese - American cooking is done in carbon steel woks over high btu output gas rings which often have a foot operated flame control valve.  The flame from such gas rings may achieve a maximum height of some 12".


this.

I grew up in China and the only wok we use in my family is carbon steel wok. It doesn't hold heat, and gets hot/cools down fairly quickly, which is important in chinese cooking because you'll have to rapidly adjust your heat during cooking, and if it takes too long the food will be overcooked. 

However, to get authentic chinese stirfry taste, you'll need a big ass gas burner. Not the one in your kitchen but the outdoor one. Alton Brown explained this in one of his episode, I think it's one of the squid episodes.


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## Claire (Jul 31, 2011)

After having an experience watching Chinese chefs doing their thing up close and personal, one thing is that they use a lot more oil than you'd be led to believe.  Lots more. 

Horrible as it may sound to some, if you are tolerant of MSG (and you probably are if you feel fine after a restaurant meal), I agree it is one of the answers.  I buy Maggi seasononing (yes, a form of MSG) when I'm going to stir fry beef or pork, and sprinkle it liberally with the seasoning after cutting, and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so.  Then I put in a little cornstarch, toss, heat the oil, and go to town.  I only stir-fry for the two of us, and neither have reactions to MSG (and it isn't like we eat it every day).

The biggest trick to stir frying is, to me, _mis en place_.  Make sure all of your ingredients are cut, soaked (dried Asian mushrooms) and ready to go before you turn on a burner.


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## Wok Hei (May 23, 2014)

*The missing ingredient is wok hei and now you can have it!*



Dallis said:


> My wife and I love stirfrys and also fried rice and use a cast iron wok over gas flame .the wok is 15 years old and well seasoned,yet we cannot get the taste
> to match Chinese restaurant food.we get very close but there seem to be a flavor missing.We buy our ingredients from a Chinese grocer yet feel that something is missing  We would appreciate any assistance and advice that any one can offer.



As @JustPlainBill pointed out, the missing ingredient is the flavor wrought by the high heat/flames of the commercial stove used in Chinese restaurants. But now if you have a gas burner, you can produce _wok hei_ right in your home kitchen. It's true!

Check out this short video that food scientist, Kenji Lopez-Alt posted on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeFgfBWUX68
If your mind is blown like mine was, you may want to read about how this was achieved in his article here.

Move over Godzilla. We will all be WokMonsters soon. And no, it won't be because of an allergic reaction to MSG.


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## Mad Cook (May 24, 2014)

Dallis said:


> My wife and I love stirfrys and also fried rice and use a cast iron wok over gas flame .the wok is 15 years old and well seasoned,yet we cannot get the taste
> to match Chinese restaurant food.we get very close but there seem to be a flavor missing.We buy our ingredients from a Chinese grocer yet feel that something is missing  We would appreciate any assistance and advice that any one can offer.


Monosodium glutamate? Disgusting stuff but widely used in Chinese cooking.


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## Wok Hei (May 24, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Monosodium glutamate? Disgusting stuff but widely used in Chinese cooking.



I was at the Restaurant Show in New York City a couple of months ago and saw that the MSG lobby had spent a lot of money to re-brand/re-market the stuff as an essential amino acid. Wikipedia says it is a non-essential one 

In any case, the unique flavor of Chinese stir-fries has a lot more to do with wok hei (intense heat) than MSG and I am very excited that there is a way to achieve this at home now.


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## Andy M. (May 24, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Monosodium glutamate? Disgusting stuff but widely used in Chinese cooking.



Disgusting?


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## bachelorchef (May 24, 2014)

I just started woking about 3 months ago and have been studying it non stop.  I also agree with the 'stirfry to the sky's edge' book.  But I think your problem is probably not enough heat.  

There's only so much you can do when you are cooking on a home gas range.  Make sure you are using FULL heat.  Cast iron is fine but let it heat up all the way before you put anything in it.  Try using peanut oil if you aren't already. Also, don't overcrowd your wok.  Try cooking a tiny baby size serving worth of food and see how it tastes.  If it tastes different/better, that means you've been overcrowding your wok (it doesn't take much!).  If you're not using a chinese jet engine for a burner, don't stir your food too much...  Let your wok catch up to you so you can get a nice brown sear.  Make sure you dry your meat and vegetables before you add them to the wok.  Otherwise, it will steam your food instead of searing it.  Also, try a flat bottom wok instead of a round bottom (even if you have a wok ring).  I find the flat bottom woks sit closer to the fire and therefore get hotter.

I eat A LOT of stir fry... I make this chinese brown sauce once per week and keep it in my fridge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsHAix_kBrg

You could also try blanching the vegetables in water (or oil) and add them to the wok at the very end just to get covered with sauce.  

Also, check your ingredients and make sure you aren't substituting something that doesn't work. For example, light soy sauce is not the same as dark soy sauce.  

What exactly are you making? Is it one particular dish that doesn't taste right? Or is it all of them?


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## Andy M. (May 24, 2014)

I deal with the lack of a jet engine in my kitchen by cooking small batches.  First the peppers (remove to a plate), then the onions, mushrooms, etc. one at a time.  Last the meat.  Then everybody back in the wok for sauce and final seasoning.


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## Wok Hei (May 24, 2014)

bachelorchef said:


> I just started woking about 3 months ago and have been studying it non stop.  I also agree with the 'stirfry to the sky's edge' book.  But I think your problem is probably not enough heat.
> 
> There's only so much you can do when you are cooking on a home gas range.  Make sure you are using FULL heat.



For those complaining about lack of heat, please see this SeriousEats article: The Food Lab: The Wok Mon Converts Your Home Burner Into a Wok Range. For Real. | Serious Eats

And check out this video also posted by Kenji Lopez-Alt of SeriousEats: The Wokmon in action (beef stir fry) - YouTube

And on Instagram: Instagram

Exciting times for woking enthusiasts!


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## chiklitmanfan (May 25, 2014)

I cook my fried rice in a large well-seasoned cast iron dutch oven.  I get it so hot over a gas flame that the ingredients just dance around when I drop them in.  We use brown rice that I steam for about 20 mins which gives the recipe a dryer texture.  I love to add grated ginger root, sesame oil, minced garlic, a few shakes of rice vinegar, and even cilantro. I also cannot match the flavor elicited by Chinese restaurants but we like ours just as well and we know what is in there.


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## dcSaute (May 25, 2014)

that taper ring thing is at least 50 years old.

I have one that came with my mother's copper flash bottom Reverware wok from the 'aught-somethings.

was watching some "expert" on tv explaining how to wok - I think it was America's Test Kitchen - they had the ring on the cooktop UPSIDE  DOWN.

oops.


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## Mad Cook (May 25, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> Disgusting?


Yes, it tastes horrid


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## Andy M. (May 25, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Yes, it tastes horrid




Used appropriately in a recipe, it has no taste of its own.  I've never eaten it straight up so can't comment there.


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## GotGarlic (May 25, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Yes, it tastes horrid



Like cilantro, you're not supposed to eat it by itself  It does enhance the flavors of some foods, although in recent years I've been adding more of ingredients that contain natural glutamates to get the same effect.


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## CharlieD (May 25, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Yes, it tastes horrid


To each, his own. Or whatever the expression is.


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## msmofet (May 26, 2014)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> MSG ?


 
Monosodium glutamate (MSG), also known as sodium glutamate, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids.

It is salt. 



Andy M. said:


> Used appropriately in a recipe, it has no taste of its own. I've never eaten it straight up so can't comment there.


 
I agree.



Claire said:


> After having an experience watching Chinese chefs doing their thing up close and personal, one thing is that they use a lot more oil than you'd be led to believe. Lots more.
> 
> Horrible as it may sound to some, if you are tolerant of MSG (and you probably are if you feel fine after a restaurant meal), I agree it is one of the answers. I buy Maggi seasononing (yes, a form of MSG) when I'm going to stir fry beef or pork, and sprinkle it liberally with the seasoning after cutting, and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so. Then I put in a little cornstarch, toss, heat the oil, and go to town. I only stir-fry for the two of us, and neither have reactions to MSG (and it isn't like we eat it every day).
> 
> The biggest trick to stir frying is, to me, _mis en place_. Make sure all of your ingredients are cut, soaked (dried Asian mushrooms) and ready to go before you turn on a burner.


 
I also use Maggi instead of soy sauce sometimes. I used to buy it from a Chinese restaurant. I was told buy the owner that ALOT of Chinese restaurants use Maggi use Maggi instead of soy sauce.


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## bachelorchef (Jun 2, 2014)

one more thing you could try is "velveting" your meat.  

here is a link that explains it: How to Velvet Chicken for Stir-Frying


it really does make the meat (especially chicken) taste so much juicier.
when i velvet, i like to use: egg white, corn starch, sherry, soy sauce, salt


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## bachelorchef (Jun 2, 2014)

Wok Hei said:


> For those complaining about lack of heat, please see this SeriousEats article: The Food Lab: The Wok Mon Converts Your Home Burner Into a Wok Range. For Real. | Serious Eats
> 
> And check out this video also posted by Kenji Lopez-Alt of SeriousEats: The Wokmon in action (beef stir fry) - YouTube
> 
> ...





DAMN!!!! I want one!!!  

But the crowd funding campaign says it's "sold out".  Also, the goal is 200k?!?!?!  I don't think that's going to happen... How sad. I really wanted one too.  Anyone have any ideas about how to achieve that same effect?


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## CraigC (Jun 2, 2014)

I'm sure the jet cooker I use for crawfish boils will easily generate enough heat for wok cooking and then some.


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## powerplantop (Jun 2, 2014)

bachelorchef said:


> one more thing you could try is "velveting" your meat.
> 
> here is a link that explains it: How to Velvet Chicken for Stir-Frying
> 
> ...



It is also explained here in this tread.


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## Wok Hei (Jun 2, 2014)

bachelorchef said:


> DAMN!!!! I want one!!!
> 
> But the crowd funding campaign says it's "sold out".  Also, the goal is 200k?!?!?!  I don't think that's going to happen... How sad. I really wanted one too.  Anyone have any ideas about how to achieve that same effect?



Agreed funding goal is high... but one never knows, if enough people hear about it. You know what happened with the Sansaire Sous Vide Circulator campaign on Kickstarter which was also reviewed by SeriousEats.com. I think this goal is so high because the inventor wants the manufacturing to be done in the US.

Only the Early Bird priced WokMons are sold out apparently. I got in at that price on the crowdfunding campaign but they are still available at a higher price if you are interested. Fingers-crossed that it will be successful.


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## Jamie212 (Jun 2, 2014)

Try sesame oil dribbled at the end of your dish. Or, in some cases, try using oyster sauce.


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## Andypants (Nov 28, 2014)

Jamie212 said:


> Try sesame oil dribbled at the end of your dish. Or, in some cases, try using oyster sauce.



 I read somewhere (Zaar?) that shaking a tiny bit of sugar (I keep an old spice jar filled with some) into the dish as you finish it will also help, along with the sesame oil.  I always save empty spice jars if they have shaker tops in case I buy something without one.  Indian food stores sell lots of varieties of curry in boxes for example (although I suspect they all have more or less the same ingredients in different amounts).


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## kwankapang (Apr 21, 2015)

The one thing which is important for effective stir-frying is to use a wok stove with high output.  Below is the excerpt from an article I wrote for beef stir-fry: 

The Correct Way to Stir-fry- Step by Step

1. Heat up the oil on low heat. Flavor the oil with your choice of aromatic ingredients, such as ginger and spring onion.
2. Push the ginger and spring onion to the edge of the wok and set the heat to the hottest grade.
3. Once the oil is piping hot, add the meat, quickly stir and toss.
4. Use the wok shovel to arrange the beef in a single layer and let it sears for a while.
5. Turn the heat up, add the stir fry sauce and vegetables such as spring onion and ginger. Quickly stir-fry for twenty seconds.
6. Adjust the flame to medium heat. Add the cornstarch slurry to the food and stir-fry until the cornstarch is cooked and has thickened.

Cast iron wok is effective to generate wok-hei, the breath of wok which is the signature aroma in the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant.  Begin with low heat and culminate with high heat at the end of the stir-frying process will give you the flavor you look for.

Hope this helps


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## Wyshiepoo (Apr 21, 2015)

Claire said:


> After having an experience watching Chinese chefs doing their thing up close and personal, one thing is that they use a lot more oil than you'd be led to believe. Lots more.
> 
> Horrible as it may sound to some, if you are tolerant of MSG (and you probably are if you feel fine after a restaurant meal), I agree it is one of the answers. I buy Maggi seasononing (yes, a form of MSG) when I'm going to stir fry beef or pork, and sprinkle it liberally with the seasoning after cutting, and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so. Then I put in a little cornstarch, toss, heat the oil, and go to town. I only stir-fry for the two of us, and neither have reactions to MSG (and it isn't like we eat it every day).
> 
> The biggest trick to stir frying is, to me, _mis en place_. Make sure all of your ingredients are cut, soaked (dried Asian mushrooms) and ready to go before you turn on a burner.


 

I agree, the main factor for me is prep, prep, prep. Oh, and prep. Everything needs to be prepped and ready to go when you start cooking.

I only use carbon steel woks.

I also use MSG, but you only need very small amounts, quarter of a teaspoon usually.

I never try and emulate restaurants, most Chinese cooking in the Western world is actually altered for western palates.


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## Mad Cook (Apr 22, 2015)

Wyshiepoo said:


> I agree, the main factor for me is prep, prep, prep. Oh, and prep. *Everything needs to be prepped and ready to go when you start cooking.*
> 
> I only use carbon steel woks.
> 
> ...


It always makes me smile sardonically when I read a cookery article that airily states that a stir fry is a quick meal for 6 only taking 10 minutes. to cook. Probably but that's not counting the three and a half hours spent cutting and choppingprecisely. OK so 3 1/2 hours is an exaggeration but you get know what I mean.

Further to your last sentence. I don't know whether they still do but the Yang Sing in Manchester (very up-market restaurant in its day) used to have a menu of Chinese food for European customers and a menu of Chinese food for Chinese customers and those in the know would ask for the latter.


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## Andy M. (Apr 22, 2015)

I grew up eating Chinese food in the U.S.  I decided I liked it and learned to cook it.  If I then went to eat from a different menu, I could well be disappointed in the result.  Some of what I cook may not be recognizable on the Chinese mainland, but we like it.


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## jennyema (Apr 22, 2015)

kwankapang said:


> The one thing which is important for effective stir-frying is to use a wok stove with high output. Below is the excerpt from an article I wrote for beef stir-fry:
> 
> The Correct Way to Stir-fry- Step by Step
> 
> ...


 


Otherwise very good advice


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## kwankapang (Apr 22, 2015)

*The Correct Way to Stir-fry- Step by Step*

Thank you Jennyema for your review of my stir-fry step.


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## Addie (Apr 22, 2015)

Welcome to DC Kwankapang. So much fun here.


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