Chefs, take a wok – literally!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Making scrumptious fried rice usually involves a WOK, a heavy round-bottomed cooking pot. And a lot of elbow grease! Tossing that wok helps brown the rice without burning it. But, it’s a challenge! How can we master the art of wok tossing?
Hungtang Ko and David Hu from Georgia Tech say… physics! They filmed five veteran chefs from Chinese and Taiwanese restaurants as they cooked fried rice. They then analyzed the chefs’ repetitive motions.
Findings? Wok tossing is like a seesaw motion. Chefs first push the wok forward and rotate it clockwise. Next, they pull back while rotating it counterclockwise. For perfect fried rice, don’t sync the sliding and rotating completely. And keep moving the wok rapidly for a tastier and quicker meal!
All this rapid shaking can be a pain for chefs. These findings can help design the perfect stir-fry robots to save their shoulders.
Who would’ve thought delicious fried rice has healing powers! Pain free and tasty? Sign me up!