After washing/drying wok, I don't know if I'm caring for it right.

[Badjak]

"The Breath of a Wok", I believe that wok hei means breath of a wok.

Correct

 

[boom]

being thousands of miles away on the internet, i would guess the OP isnt getting the wok hot enough to begin with. this was a lesson i learned stubbornly.

and a Wok is essentially the Anvil of the kitchen. you cannot break one. if it rusts some, scrub and move on.

if i ever get a new wok, i am making popcorn with it. it throws just about the thinnest mist of grease everywhere for a good start at a seasoning coat.

 

[Badjak]

Popcorn is a fun idea....
I used to deep fry in it when fairly new

 

[dragnlaw]

From what I've read many Asian cooks deep-fry in their woks as a matter of course.

 

[Badjak]

From what I've read many Asian cooks deep-fry in their woks as a matter of course.

Yes, I nirmally use a small wok for deep frying.
But if I have a new one, it will take over that job for a bit.

I got a flat bottom wok I don't like, and that one is now dedicated to steaming.

 

[knowledge keeper]

I've had this wok 1 year, and I don't know if I'm caring for it right as, despite weekly use, it still hasn't developed a good, dark patina yet.

So, I fry in it, wash it out with water, sometimes soap, scrub when necessary, then put it back onto the hot burner to dry it. Then oil a paper towel and wipe the inside down. The wok generally smokes a bit (from the oil smoking), and after it cools, the wok can be anywhere from slick and oily smooth to a bit sticky here and there.

(I've let it get really hot about 4 times before, "bluing" the metal as some people say to care for it, and then put oil (vegetable oil) on it. Just a thin coating, and then I wipe it out. For some reason, I keep getting a yellow residue/stain on the bottom after this, and I'm wondering if this color is one of 3 things:

1. The beginning of a patina that I later/then wash/scrub off
2. Too much oil applied after washing/drying/re-oiling
3. It being dirty still.

I'd hate to be abusing my lovely wok, as I've gotten really good at it. But I still can't use it to fry eggs that easily, as it's not super nonstick yet. Any help/advice?

I'm pretty sure it isn't rust.

The yellow sediment at the bottom can be the result of either oil or small food particles that haven't been fully filtered out. If it remains, it's most likely excess oil.

 

[dragnlaw]

forgot about the steaming Badjak, it's true these same Asian recipe use the woks for steaming as well.
LOL, so you boil water in them and then you can sear in oil.

 

[taxlady]

I have heard that wok hei is the same thing as wok chi, but a different dialect or possibly language. Chi is a more familiar word than hei is, to many of us non-Chinese speakers.