Wok or Wok Pan?

Wok and wok pan are by no means one and the same. A wok is the traditional Asian cooking implement with a rounded, half-sphere bottom and two handles, sometimes with a panhandle. Because of its half-spherical shape the heat disseminates quickly to the walls, creating different zones with different temperatures. Obviously such an implement cannot be used on modern western ranges because of its rounded bottom. For this, special woks have been designed, that have a flat bottom and which rest evenly on the flat surface of a regular electric stove or range. These wok pans, however, do not generate the kind of different heat zones like a traditional wok does. Ingredients are thus cooked in the flatter middle part of the pan, but receive little to no heat from the walls. Authentic wok cooking that entirely envelops the food with a kind of heat blanket is not possible with these wok pans. In order to achieve the required all-direction heat and different temperature zones a traditional wok with a rounded bottom is the only way to go: resting on a stand and with the sides evenly exposed to the flames of a burner.