Chinese Wok Hei — The Science

Cantonese cooking tradition — the concept of wok hei was first articulated in Cantonese culinary writing; the technique is ancient but the scientific understanding is modern

Wok hei (wok breath): the complex aromatic character imparted to food by rapid, high-heat stir-frying in a seasoned wok over a powerful burner. Scientific components: Maillard reaction from the iron surface; volatile aromatic compounds from the oil reaching smoking point; pyrazine compounds from the wok's carbon seasoning; and the rapid charring of sugars in vegetables and proteins. Cannot be replicated on a home gas or electric stove — the BTU output of a restaurant wok burner (150,000+ BTU) is 10x a home range.

Smoky, slightly charred, complex aromatic — the distinctive flavour of Chinese stir-frying that is impossible to achieve without proper equipment