Editing Stir frying (section)

== Technique ==
Broadly speaking, there are two primary techniques: ''chao'' and ''bao''. Both techniques use high heat, but ''chao'' adds a liquid and the ingredients are softer, whereas ''bao'' stir fries are more [[Crispiness|crispy]] because of the [[Maillard reaction]].{{sfn|Klosse|2010|pp=131–132}}

=== ''Chao'' technique ===
[[File:Stir fry à la Gabi-showcasingbabycorn.jpg|thumb|Ingredients are typically added in succession after cooking oil has been applied onto a hot pan. The ingredients that take longest to cook, like meat or [[tofu]], are added first.]]
The ''chao'' (炒) technique is similar to the Western technique of [[sautéing]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Chinese cooking method&nbsp;— Stir-Frying|url=http://www.hugchina.com/china/food/cooking-methods/chinese-cooking-method-stir-frying-2010-10-04.html|website=www.hugchina.com|access-date=5 July 2014}}</ref> There are regional variations in the amount and type of oil, the ratio of oil to other liquids, the combinations of ingredients, the use of hot peppers, and such, but the same basic procedure is followed in all parts of the country.

First the [[wok]] is heated to a high temperature, and just as or before it smokes, a small amount of cooking oil is added down the side of the wok (a traditional expression is 热锅冷油 "hot wok, cold oil") followed by dry seasonings such as [[ginger]], [[garlic]], [[scallion]]s, or [[shallot]]s. The seasonings are tossed with a spatula until they are [[fragrant]], then other ingredients are added, beginning with the ones taking the longest to cook, such as meat or [[tofu]]. When the meat and vegetables are nearly cooked, combinations of [[soy sauce]], vinegar, wine, salt, or sugar may be added, along with thickeners such as cornstarch, [[water chestnut]] flour, or [[arrowroot]].{{sfnb|Newman| 2004|p=73, 90, 93, 95}}

A single ingredient, especially a vegetable, may be stir-fried without the step of adding another ingredient, or two or more ingredients may be stir-fried to make a single dish. Although large leaf vegetables, such as cabbage or spinach, do not need to be cut into small pieces, for dishes which combine ingredients, they should all be cut to roughly the same size and shape.

==== ''Wok hei'' ====
{{Main|Wok#Wok hei}}

''Wok hei'' ({{zh|t=鑊氣|s=镬气|links=no|j=wok<sup>6</sup> hei<sup>3</sup>}}) [[romanization]] is based on the [[Cantonese Chinese]] pronunciation of the phrase; when literally translated into English, it can be translated as "wok [[thermal radiation]]"<ref name="YOU">Young, Grace, and Richardson, Alan, ''The Breath of a Wok'', New York: Simon & Schuster, {{ISBN|0-7432-3827-3}}, {{ISBN|978-0-7432-3827-4}} (2004), pp. 4, 38, 40</ref><ref name="WOKH">{{cite web|url=http://www.wokhei.com/about.html#whatWokhei|title=What does Wokhei mean?|publisher=Wokhei|access-date=4 March 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021043753/http://www.wokhei.com/about.html#whatWokhei|archive-date=21 October 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> or, metaphorically, as the "breath of the wok". The phrase "breath of a wok" is a poetic translation Grace Young first coined in her cookbook ''The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen''.<ref>Young, Grace, ''The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen'', New York: Simon & Schuster, (1999), pp. 20</ref> In her book, ''The Breath of a Wok'', Young further explores the ideas and concepts of ''wok hei''.<ref>Young, Grace, and Richardson, Alan, ''The Breath of a Wok'', New York: Simon & Schuster, {{ISBN|0-7432-3827-3}}, {{ISBN|978-0-7432-3827-4}} (2004), pp. 60</ref> An essay called "Wok Hay: The Breath of a Wok" explains how the definition of ''wok hei'' varies from cook to cook and how difficult it is to translate the term. Some define it as the "taste of the wok," a "harmony of taste," etc.: "I think of wok hay as the breath of a wok—when a wok breathes energy into a stir-fry, giving foods a unique concentrated flavor and aroma."<ref>{{cite journal|title=Wok Hay: The Breath of a Wok|journal=Gastronomica: The Journal of Critical Food Studies|volume=4|issue=3|pages=26–30|doi=10.1525/gfc.2004.4.3.26|year=2004|last1=Young|first1=Grace}}</ref>

When read in Mandarin, the second character is transliterated as ''[[qi]]'' (''ch'i'' according to its [[Wade-Giles]] romanization, so ''wok hei'' is sometimes rendered as ''wok chi'' in Western cookbooks) is the [[Flavour (taste)|flavour]], [[taste]]s, and "essence" imparted by a hot wok on food during stir frying.<ref name="YOU" /><ref>{{cite book |author=Harpham, Zoė |title=Essential Wok Cookbook |year=2002 |publisher=Murdoch Books |isbn=978-1-74045-413-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/essentialwokcook0000unse }}</ref> Out of the [[Eight Cuisines of China|Eight Culinary Traditions of China]], wok hei is encountered the most in [[Cantonese cuisine]], whereas it may not even be an accepted concept in some of the others.

To impart ''wok hei'' the traditional way, the food is cooked in a seasoned wok over a high flame while being stirred and tossed quickly.<ref name="YOU" /> The distinct taste of ''wok hei'' is partially imbued into the metal of the wok itself from previous cooking sessions and brought out again when cooking over high heat.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} In practical terms, the flavour imparted by chemical compounds results from [[caramelization]], [[Maillard reaction]]s, and the partial combustion of oil that come from charring and searing of the food at very high heat in excess of {{convert|200|C}}.<ref name="WOKH" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/dining-out/what-is-wok-hei|title=What is...wok hei?|date=2016-10-12|access-date=2019-11-17|publisher=Michelin Guide}}</ref>  Aside from flavour, ''wok hei'' also manifests itself in the texture and smell of the cooked items.

=== ''Bao'' technique ===
[[File:Wok cooking.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''Bao'' stir frying involves high heat combined with continuous tossing. This keeps juices from flowing out of the ingredients and keeps the food crispy.]]

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the ''bao'' technique ({{zh|c=[[wikt:爆|爆]]|p=bào|l=pop, explosion}}) of stir-frying on a high flame was typical of cuisine from the northern Chinese province of [[Shandong]].{{sfn|Wilkinson|2012|p=459}} The wok is first heated to a dull red glow over a high fire. The oil, seasonings, and meats are then added in rapid succession. The food is continually tossed, stopping only to add other ingredients such as broths, vegetables, or more seasonings. The purpose of ''bao'' is to highlight natural tastes, so minimal seasoning is added.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Chinese Cooking Techniques|url = http://www.flavorandfortune.com/dataaccess/article.php?ID=200|website = www.flavorandfortune.com|access-date = 2016-02-23|archive-date = 24 October 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151024045239/http://www.flavorandfortune.com/dataaccess/article.php?ID=200|url-status = dead}}</ref> Because of the high heat, ''bao'' is ideal for small amounts of food that cook quickly, so the juices do not flow out of the items.{{sfn|Klosse|2010|p=131}} Meat is coated with egg white or starch in order to contain the juices.<ref name=":0" /> When the food is cooked it is poured and ladled out of the wok. The wok must then be quickly rinsed to prevent food residues from charring and burning to the wok bottom because of residual heat.

A larger amount of cooking fat with a high [[smoke point]], such as refined plant oils, is often used in ''bao''. The main ingredients are usually cut into smaller pieces to aid in cooking.