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/pan is a breeze!
- Wash the inside of your wok/pan with hot water and a little detergent. Use a soft cloth (e.g. paper towel or sponge cloth) to do this. This is the only time your wok will come into contact with detergent, unless it becomes rusty.
- Rinse off the detergent with hot water and dry your wok/pan thoroughly.
- Now place your wok/pan on the stove and heat it up.
During this process, the color of your wok will change.
TIP: Pan and tilt your wok on the stovetop so the color changes higher up the edge as well. - Once your wok/pan is evenly heated, remove it from the heat.
- Now add about 1 teaspoon of sunflower / rapeseed oil to your wok/pan and spread it over the entire inside surface of the wok/pan using a paper kitchen towel.
Be careful not to get burned!
- Heat your wok/pan over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. This will produce smoke, so make sure your windows are open and the extractor fan is on.
- Remove your wok/pan from the stove again and wipe it with a new paper kitchen towel. There may now be black residue on this towel.
- Repeat steps 5 to 8 until there is no more black residue on your paper kitchen towel and the inside of your wok has a golden-brown or black patina.
Now your wok/pan is ready for use.
