Equipment & utensils: Chinese Cuisine

Using Chinese kitchen equipment is not as terrifying as some people may think. Although some equipment may look rather unusual, these tools help tremendously in the preparation of some of the most delicious Chinese dishes. This article highlights many popular kitchen equipments found in a Chinese kitchen. As the world becomes more global and reaching out to many parts of the world, we can find increasing international cooking tools in our local grocery stores without venturing to Chinatown or an Asian grocery store (though one can find more options at better prices in the latter). So sit back and learn how you can enrich your kitchen knowledge!

Wok: Cantonese word for pot and arguably the most important tool in the Chinese kitchen. Traditional wok is round-bottomed and used for cooking over an open flame. The sides of wok are hugged by the flames thus becomes the perfect heat conductor. Flat-bottomed woks are designed for cooking over kitchen stoves. Regardless the shape, the most important thing we need to ensure is that as much as the wok’s surface area as possible is in contact with the heat source– ideal for stir-frying.
Cooking utensil used typically in stir-frying are chopsticks, wooden, plastic or metal spoons and spatulas and tongs. If you don’t have a wok, get one or a shallow non-stick frying pan should suffice for stir-frying.

Steamer: No dim sum eating experience is complete without this tool. It’s a brilliantly simple way of steaming- a lidded bamboo basket set over a pan of boiling water. Another modern option is steamer made from aluminium. I guess the Chinese have figured out how to create the best steamers over the centuries. The traditional bamboo steamer has a slightly dome-shaped lid that absorbs any condensation so that no liquid drips down to waterlog the food. The steamers can be stacked and some have lacings/ strings on the sides to tie them together. Unfortunately, bamboo steamers cannot last as long as the aluminium ones but they are cheap to replace!
Steamers are used to steam a variety of foods- from dim sum to veggies to meats to fish. They can be used to reheat food and are easy to clean and store. They are light in weight and come in a variety of sizes.

Utensils Besides the common tongs, spatulas, spoons, ladles, measuring cups and jugs, scales, knives, peelers, prep bowls, saucepans of varying sizes, stockpots with lids, the Chinese kitchen is no stranger to:
– Strainer/ sieve Approximately 4 inches in diameter, it is used to strain chili flakes or bits of food from oil
– Chef’s wooden chopsticks At least 6 inches in length, these chopsticks are great for retrieving ingredients in deep wok filled with deep-frying oil
– Spider  Approximately 5 inches in diameter, one uses it to scoop and drain food
– Mortar and pestle Granite is more common in the Chinese kitchen versus the more fragile porcelain and clay versions. Larger ones are recommended as you can pound large food items in a go. If you want a faster alternative, then opt for a food processor
– Chinese cleaver Make way for the next big thing in Iron Chef! This knife is awesome for chopping some of the hardest meat and cracking bones. Select a cleaver with a comfortable grip, weight and size. You may want to go for a wooden handle as the metal one can become slippery when your hands are wet