Similar to a cast iron pan, you have to season your wok before using it for the first time so that it develops a so-called patina, which gives it a natural non-stick surface and protects it from rust.
Luckily, seasoning your wok is a breeze!
- Wash the inside of your wok with hot water and a little dishwashing liquid. Use a soft cloth for this (e.g. paper kitchen towel or sponge cloth). This is the only time your wok will come into contact with dish soap unless it gets rusty.
- Rinse off the dish soap with hot water and dry your wok thoroughly.
- Now place your wok on the stove and heat it up strongly.
During this process the color of your wok will change.
TIP: Swirl and tilt your wok on the stove so that the color changes further up the edge. - Once your wok is evenly heated, remove it from the heat.
- Now add about 1 teaspoon of sunflower / rapeseed oil to your wok and spread it over the entire inner surface of the wok with a paper kitchen towel.
Be careful not to burn yourself!
- Heat your wok over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. This will produce smoke, so make sure your windows are open and the extractor hood is on.
- Remove your wok from the stove again and wipe it with a new paper towel. There may now be black residue on this cloth.
- Repeat steps 5 through 8 until there is no black residue on your paper towel and the interior of your wok has a golden brown or black patina.
Now your wok is ready to use.
