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The Breath of a Wok
Award-winning author Grace Young celebrates and demystifies the art of wok cooking for the Western home cook.
When Grace Young was a child, her father instilled in her a lasting appreciation of wok hay, the highly prized but elusive taste that food achieves when properly stir-fried in a wok. As an adult, Young aspired to create that taste in her own kitchen.
Grace Young's quest to master wok cooking led her throughout the United States, Hong Kong, and mainland China. Along with award-winning photographer Alan Richardson, Young sought the advice of home cooks, professional chefs, and esteemed culinary teachers like Cecilia Chiang, Florence Lin, and Ken Hom. Their instructions, stories, and recipes, gathered in this richly designed and illustrated volume, offer not only expert lessons in the art of wok cooking, but also capture a beautiful and timeless way of life.
With its emphasis on cooking with all the senses, The Breath of a Wok brings the techniques and flavors of old-world wok cooking into today's kitchen, enabling anyone to stir-fry with wok hay. IACP award-winner Young details the fundamentals of selecting, seasoning, and caring for a wok, as well as the range of the wok's uses; this surprisingly inexpensive utensil serves as the ultimate multipurpose kitchen tool. The 125 recipes are a testament to the versatility of the wok, with stir-fried, smoked, pan-fried, braised, boiled, poached, steamed, and deep-fried dishes that include not only the classics of wok cooking, like Kung Pao Chicken and Moo Shoo Pork, but also unusual dishes like Sizzling Pepper and Salt Shrimp, Three Teacup Chicken, and Scallion and Ginger Lo Mein. Young's elegant prose and Richardson's extraordinary photographs create a unique and unforgettable picture of artisan wok makers in mainland China, street markets in Hong Kong, and a "wok-a-thon" in which Young's family of aunties, uncles, and cousins cooks together in a lively exchange of recipes and stories. A visit with author Amy Tan also becomes a family event when Tan and her sisters prepare New Year's dumplings. Additionally, there are menus for family-style meals and for Chinese New Year festivities, an illustrated glossary, and a source guide to purchasing ingredients, woks, and accessories.
Written with the intimacy of a memoir and the immediacy of a travelogue, this recipe-rich volume is a celebration of cultural and culinary delights.
When Grace Young was a child, her father instilled in her a lasting appreciation of wok hay, the highly prized but elusive taste that food achieves when properly stir-fried in a wok. As an adult, Young aspired to create that taste in her own kitchen.
Grace Young's quest to master wok cooking led her throughout the United States, Hong Kong, and mainland China. Along with award-winning photographer Alan Richardson, Young sought the advice of home cooks, professional chefs, and esteemed culinary teachers like Cecilia Chiang, Florence Lin, and Ken Hom. Their instructions, stories, and recipes, gathered in this richly designed and illustrated volume, offer not only expert lessons in the art of wok cooking, but also capture a beautiful and timeless way of life.
With its emphasis on cooking with all the senses, The Breath of a Wok brings the techniques and flavors of old-world wok cooking into today's kitchen, enabling anyone to stir-fry with wok hay. IACP award-winner Young details the fundamentals of selecting, seasoning, and caring for a wok, as well as the range of the wok's uses; this surprisingly inexpensive utensil serves as the ultimate multipurpose kitchen tool. The 125 recipes are a testament to the versatility of the wok, with stir-fried, smoked, pan-fried, braised, boiled, poached, steamed, and deep-fried dishes that include not only the classics of wok cooking, like Kung Pao Chicken and Moo Shoo Pork, but also unusual dishes like Sizzling Pepper and Salt Shrimp, Three Teacup Chicken, and Scallion and Ginger Lo Mein. Young's elegant prose and Richardson's extraordinary photographs create a unique and unforgettable picture of artisan wok makers in mainland China, street markets in Hong Kong, and a "wok-a-thon" in which Young's family of aunties, uncles, and cousins cooks together in a lively exchange of recipes and stories. A visit with author Amy Tan also becomes a family event when Tan and her sisters prepare New Year's dumplings. Additionally, there are menus for family-style meals and for Chinese New Year festivities, an illustrated glossary, and a source guide to purchasing ingredients, woks, and accessories.
Written with the intimacy of a memoir and the immediacy of a travelogue, this recipe-rich volume is a celebration of cultural and culinary delights.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published August 24, 2004
195 people are currently reading
938 people want to read
About the author
Grace Young
44 books25 followersDubbed “The Stir-Fry Guru” by the New York Times, Grace Young has devoted her career to celebrating wok cookery. Her accolades include a James Beard award for her cookbook Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge and a James Beard nomination in 2018 for The Breath of a Wok video. She has won five IACP awards including the prestigious 2019 Culinary Classics Award for The Breath of a Wok, (the “youngest” book to be inducted into the Cookbook Hall of Fame). It also won the Jane Grigson Award for distinguished scholarship. Grace’s latest video, the Wok Therapist was released in 2019. Her family’s wok, which dates back to 1949, is currently displayed at the Museum of Food and Drink’s Chow exhibit and will soon be relocated to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History where it will continue to serve as a significant artifact of Chinese American culinary history.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 12, 2011
So my secret is out. I read cookbooks. Lots of them, and this is a winner. A great reference book in the kitchen, I actually forgot that this one was a cookbook the story was that good. A fascinating look into Chinese culture and cooking...
March 30, 2024
YUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMMERS!!!
5 Lip Smacking Stars
5 Lip Smacking Stars
March 13, 2020
I love this book ! Grace's forever thirst of stir frying has bought this book to fruition ! And we are reaping the rewards of becoming an expert of everything wok (buying guide,seasoning,caring for the wok,how to cook, vegetables,rice dishes every other meats and even goes to braising meats). Damn I need this in my collection !
October 28, 2007
Informative, passionately written, beautiful pictures, classic recipes.
July 5, 2009
Awesome book on wok cooking. Techniques and recipes are interesting and a great read.
February 3, 2011
Ms. Young and Mr. Richardson travel through China chronicling the storied history of the wok, from small villages in rural China where villagers cook communal meals in enormous woks four feet in diameter, to the streets of Hong Kong where unregistered dai pai dong (food vendors) magically appear after dusk, only to disappear in the early hours of the morning.. They interview renowned Chinese chefs like Florence Lin and Susanna Foo and visit the Chinese Cuisine Training Institute in Hong Kong. They watch woks being hammered by the village blacksmith in Gao Tian, Guangxi province, and by a pair of brothers who own a small business in a residential neighborhood in Shanghai. They peek into the ferociously busy kitchens of famous restaurants in San Francisco and quiet, humble kitchens in the homes of friends and neighbors both in China and the United States. Ms. Young mines her older relatives' memories for recipes and techniques from their youth and gathers them together for a “wok-a-thon” to share that knowledge with the younger generations of the family. The authors include personal stories, colorful photographs and mouth-watering recipes from each of the stops in their journey.
The book is eminently practical, too. Every question you could ever have thought to ask is covered. How do you select a good wok? What's the best way to season a new wok? When to add certain types of food, what oil is best, different techniques for various types of meat or vegetables – it's all in The Breath of a Wok. Having only ever used my wok to stir-fry, I had no idea it was so versatile! You can steam, pan-fry, deep-fry, poach, braise, boil and smoke with a wok, and this book provides simple to follow recipes for each of these methods. Of course, all the reading in the world will not help you become a master chef without lots of hands-on practice, but with The Breath of a Wok as a reference, I'm freshly motivated to explore the many facets of this indispensable tool of the Asian kitchen.
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
The book is eminently practical, too. Every question you could ever have thought to ask is covered. How do you select a good wok? What's the best way to season a new wok? When to add certain types of food, what oil is best, different techniques for various types of meat or vegetables – it's all in The Breath of a Wok. Having only ever used my wok to stir-fry, I had no idea it was so versatile! You can steam, pan-fry, deep-fry, poach, braise, boil and smoke with a wok, and this book provides simple to follow recipes for each of these methods. Of course, all the reading in the world will not help you become a master chef without lots of hands-on practice, but with The Breath of a Wok as a reference, I'm freshly motivated to explore the many facets of this indispensable tool of the Asian kitchen.
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
September 14, 2014
As a recipe book, this is a pretty good place to get started with your stir-fries. As a series of personal essays and photographs aiming to captures an aspect of the Chinese and Chinese-American experience, it is a wonderful read. As a guide to purchasing and caring for a wok, it is indispensable. It is probably the most important book on my shelf for reference purposes, and it jumpstarted my forays into cooking over the last 8 months.
February 24, 2017
Although I didn't use any of the recipes in this book, I found amazing wisdom in how to cook Chinese/Japanese recipes much better. My recipes now come out close to the way they taste in restaurants. We're loving our exploraition
December 30, 2009
excellent info on buying and properly using a wok, great resource, recipes.
August 3, 2012
Great story, great recipes, amazing photographs, and really great tips on woks. One of my very favorite food books.
April 20, 2020
Continuing my habit of reading cookbooks straight through like other books (and often not actually cooking anything from them), The Breath of a Wok goes beyond recipes and is informative on the history, purposes, and methods of wok cookery. Wok cooking is again something that I probably should be familiar with but am not- my mom cooks with one periodically, but I never really learned how to cook.
Things I learned:
-that Northern and Cantonese styles are different (a long handle vs two ear handles respectively)
-that traditional woks have a round bottom, which requires a specialty stove or rings over a range if you live with a western range.
-Overcrowding the wok will lead to things getting soggy.
There are definitely doable recipes in here, and though it's from 2005 and some ingredients are mentioned as likely needing to come from Asian markets/specialty stores, I feel like some things may be more readily available here in 2020 (sort of. April 2020 is a weird time and places may or may not be open...) I'm curious about the status of dai pai dong (food market stalls) Young was searching for at the beginning of the book now- are people more wary of them now, or have they modified and continued to thrive?
Things I learned:
-that Northern and Cantonese styles are different (a long handle vs two ear handles respectively)
-that traditional woks have a round bottom, which requires a specialty stove or rings over a range if you live with a western range.
-Overcrowding the wok will lead to things getting soggy.
There are definitely doable recipes in here, and though it's from 2005 and some ingredients are mentioned as likely needing to come from Asian markets/specialty stores, I feel like some things may be more readily available here in 2020 (sort of. April 2020 is a weird time and places may or may not be open...) I'm curious about the status of dai pai dong (food market stalls) Young was searching for at the beginning of the book now- are people more wary of them now, or have they modified and continued to thrive?
July 31, 2022
This is part cookbook and part history, both of the wok and of Chinese cooking in general, and an introduction to the regional differences in China in terms of not just food, but also the equipment used. Grace Young has been on a vocal quest to save America's Chinatowns since the pandemic began. She has called out the racism that was employed in the beginning that further marginalized Asian Americans, and made them even more vulnerable to physical and verbal attacks.
The Breath of a Wok is a cookbook to keep not just because of the recipes, but for the how to instructions for buying, using and maintaining a wok, the quintessential tool for making stir fried food. Read about the workings of a traditional Chinese kitchen, techniques passed down from masters (and favorite uncles), and feast your eyes on the sumptuous photography. Learn about wok hay, the magic that happens in your wok when you learn how to stir-fry properly, as will hopefully happen after reading this book and also being able to recognize it. Then following the chapters about the care and feeding of your wok, there are chapters filled with recipes for how to season your wok, with oil, or in the oven, and how to clean a wok properly. Then dive into the food recipes and try your hand at it.
The Breath of a Wok is a cookbook to keep not just because of the recipes, but for the how to instructions for buying, using and maintaining a wok, the quintessential tool for making stir fried food. Read about the workings of a traditional Chinese kitchen, techniques passed down from masters (and favorite uncles), and feast your eyes on the sumptuous photography. Learn about wok hay, the magic that happens in your wok when you learn how to stir-fry properly, as will hopefully happen after reading this book and also being able to recognize it. Then following the chapters about the care and feeding of your wok, there are chapters filled with recipes for how to season your wok, with oil, or in the oven, and how to clean a wok properly. Then dive into the food recipes and try your hand at it.
April 13, 2022
The other essential Grace Young cookbook in addition to the follow up, Stir-frying to the Sky's Edge. And like that book, this one is also a James Beard award winner. There's an abundance of fusion recipes here, like Chinese Trinidadian Chicken with Mango Chutney, and classics like Kung Pao Chicken, Sizzling Pepper and Salt Shrimp, Moo Shoo Pork, and an abundance of delicious veggie side dishes. The book is full of stories and profiles of the cooks/chefs in her family and recipes created by her world class chef friends. As always with Grace's books, she gives food prep/cooking techniques aplenty, as well as equipment and panty item recommendations.
March 17, 2021
If there's a genre of books that combines coffee table book with cookbook (counter book?) this belongs to it. Long chapters of narrative with big, artistic photos switch off with cramped and unillustrated recipes.
If you're curious about woks and want to try them out in your western kitchen, this is a good book. If you need to be persuaded, it won't really do the job. If you want to use a wok anywhere else (like over your grill or an open fire) this isn't the book either.
If you're curious about woks and want to try them out in your western kitchen, this is a good book. If you need to be persuaded, it won't really do the job. If you want to use a wok anywhere else (like over your grill or an open fire) this isn't the book either.
May 15, 2022
This is the definitive English-language wok book. Want to know how to cook pretty much anything in a wok? Get this book. Want to know a ton about different kinds of woks and how to pick the right one for you? Also get this book. This is a lot of solid technique written in a way that’s easy to approach, covering everything: how to season your wok, stir-fry, rice, smoking meats, even steaming dumplings. Highly recommended.
June 13, 2024
This is essential reading for a chef. I can't express that enough. It's one of the great cookbooks that intersperses stories of travels and experiences in a way that gets you reading them. I'm so glad I invested in this one.
July 13, 2018
I hope I will be brave enough to try a few of these recipes. "brave" because I don't cook, not because I wouldn't like the food.
February 16, 2021
This is a must-have book when getting into wok cookery. The section on seasoning a new walk is really valuable. Lots of good recipes as well.
February 26, 2021
I enjoyed this book, particularly the information, stories and pictures, but was disappointed with the outcome of the recipes.
March 6, 2021
Outstanding...written well...great stories mixed in with the recipes. Teaches wok cooking from buying a wok to the end meal.
January 7, 2024
Grace Young is the reason I own and recommend woks to friends and family. Definitely the definitive resource on the topic of woks, wok maintenance, and wok hei.
April 29, 2012
If you enjoy Chinese food this book might be for you - even if you never plan to try and cook it for yourself.
In a nutshell you get a wonderful book prepared with love, care and feeling by the authors that takes you behind the lore and mystique of Chinese food and starts with the first key ingredient - a good wok!
Page after page of family memories related to the wok, culture and folklore, traditional methods of production and just "why" a wok is needed compared to a skillet or pan start the book off. A more comprehensive history and overview you could not ask for and it is a pleasurable read that imparts much information.
Did you know, for example, that the earliest woks date from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) and that the wok was so highly praised that smaller pottery versions were even buried with many people to take them to the afterlife!
Important advice about choosing the right wok for your circumstances (for a modern western home) is provided and then it is back to the serious, honourable matters of "opening" the wok, that is to say the all-important preparation of the wok prior to use. It is vital to state that this book does not skimp on the information and whilst some might find it repetitive and long-winded and consider skipping large sections you are advised not to do so as what might be seen as repetition is, in fact, careful consideration of matters. Read, digest and you will be rewarded. In many cases no one opinion is given, but a range of different counterpoints and viewpoints that have been handed down through family generations and often never written down are duly presented.
Much information is also given about the care of the wok and practical importance of it. No throwing it in the dishwasher or attacking it with scouring products. For many cooks the wok and the chopper are their key work tools, so you want to keep them in good order at all times.
It is a good way through the book before one even gets to look at cooking with your wok, such is the love being provided to this "humble pan." Once one gets to the cooking stages it is noticeable that any recipes are almost an afterthought in favour of good, practical advice about the best way to cook a specific ingredient and, perhaps more importantly, why such a thing is considered and recommended over something else.
The recipes, however, are no last minute addition and one feels that equal care has been lavished on them to ensure that they do fit the overall style and approach of the book. The recipes are relatively easy to follow but this does not set out to be a beginner's book. Even if you produce the food as described in a recipe, this is only part of the battle as a good artist might be able to paint a dog, but the style and appearance of the dog can make a world of difference.
Throughout the book there are many wonderful full colour photographs that help round out the text and providing in place visual stimulation. They would not be out of place in a travel guide as they do make you want to be there. If a book could reproduce the sights and smells (that would come from the picture) one could imagine that this book would equally do them justice.
The book ends with a overview of "essentials" such as a complete glossary of terms and a very compressive in-depth index. All in all this is a complete book. It might not have as many recipes as some other books but it does have the love and feeling and hopefully this can be transferred to the reader to enable them to do more than just make Chinese food. Hopefully through time, even if they don't have a drop of Chinese heritage in their body they will be able to slowly develop "the feeling and the way".
The Breath of a Wok: Unlocking the Spirit of Wok Cooking Through Recipes and Lore, written by Grace Young & Alan Richardson and published by Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-3827-3, 240 pages. Typical price: GBP20.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
In a nutshell you get a wonderful book prepared with love, care and feeling by the authors that takes you behind the lore and mystique of Chinese food and starts with the first key ingredient - a good wok!
Page after page of family memories related to the wok, culture and folklore, traditional methods of production and just "why" a wok is needed compared to a skillet or pan start the book off. A more comprehensive history and overview you could not ask for and it is a pleasurable read that imparts much information.
Did you know, for example, that the earliest woks date from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) and that the wok was so highly praised that smaller pottery versions were even buried with many people to take them to the afterlife!
Important advice about choosing the right wok for your circumstances (for a modern western home) is provided and then it is back to the serious, honourable matters of "opening" the wok, that is to say the all-important preparation of the wok prior to use. It is vital to state that this book does not skimp on the information and whilst some might find it repetitive and long-winded and consider skipping large sections you are advised not to do so as what might be seen as repetition is, in fact, careful consideration of matters. Read, digest and you will be rewarded. In many cases no one opinion is given, but a range of different counterpoints and viewpoints that have been handed down through family generations and often never written down are duly presented.
Much information is also given about the care of the wok and practical importance of it. No throwing it in the dishwasher or attacking it with scouring products. For many cooks the wok and the chopper are their key work tools, so you want to keep them in good order at all times.
It is a good way through the book before one even gets to look at cooking with your wok, such is the love being provided to this "humble pan." Once one gets to the cooking stages it is noticeable that any recipes are almost an afterthought in favour of good, practical advice about the best way to cook a specific ingredient and, perhaps more importantly, why such a thing is considered and recommended over something else.
The recipes, however, are no last minute addition and one feels that equal care has been lavished on them to ensure that they do fit the overall style and approach of the book. The recipes are relatively easy to follow but this does not set out to be a beginner's book. Even if you produce the food as described in a recipe, this is only part of the battle as a good artist might be able to paint a dog, but the style and appearance of the dog can make a world of difference.
Throughout the book there are many wonderful full colour photographs that help round out the text and providing in place visual stimulation. They would not be out of place in a travel guide as they do make you want to be there. If a book could reproduce the sights and smells (that would come from the picture) one could imagine that this book would equally do them justice.
The book ends with a overview of "essentials" such as a complete glossary of terms and a very compressive in-depth index. All in all this is a complete book. It might not have as many recipes as some other books but it does have the love and feeling and hopefully this can be transferred to the reader to enable them to do more than just make Chinese food. Hopefully through time, even if they don't have a drop of Chinese heritage in their body they will be able to slowly develop "the feeling and the way".
The Breath of a Wok: Unlocking the Spirit of Wok Cooking Through Recipes and Lore, written by Grace Young & Alan Richardson and published by Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-3827-3, 240 pages. Typical price: GBP20.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
December 29, 2021
Great book, not just about Chinese cooking, but the wok practically and culturally.
July 14, 2007
Wok Cookbook. It has beautiful pictures, I might read it as a picture book, even without the recipes. Great beginning section, all about the history of the wok, chinese cooking, how to get your new wok ready for use. Good thing I read that too, so when I tried to season my new wok, and it started smoking off the factory coating, and started that little fire on the burner, and the smoke detector went off, I was prepared, becuase the book warned me that I should keep my windows open. It did not, however, explain that while the little fire was happening, and the smoke detector was blairing, that my exhast fan would suddenly go haywire and make the most hideously loud sound ever, and not turn off, and be broken for all times, adding to the wok seasoning moment. The author also does some cooking with Amy Tan (the author) and some other notable Wok cooking people, and they share stories, and tips and recipes. The recipes don't seem too hard. Not many vegetarian recipes, but it's not a vegetarian book, so that's expected.
September 8, 2016
Although the author’s interest in cooking with woks began at an early age, she didn’t start using one until she was in college. In this book she explores the history and customs of people who have used woks and, of course, includes lots of recipes. Her discussion (chapters) include how woks are made, h w and where to buy woks, how to season and use a wok. She includes a chapter on wok “warriors” and through the book discusses differences between home and restaurant use of woks. Lots of interesting details and descriptions. Covers smoking, pan-frying, braising, boiling/ poaching, steaming, deep-frying, and of course, stir frying. Includes her encounters with famous chefs and authors
July 4, 2017
This is a fascinating book, not only because of recipes and such that are in it, but they actually get into what makes for a good wok and the history and culture that has sprung up around this versatile cooking tool. The insight that they go into concerning modern-day Chinese stall cooks and the underground night eateries in China offer an interesting perspective on Chinese culture through its cooking.
August 8, 2007
Starts out good, but then the recipes use poor substitutions and Western ingredients in place of the real stuff. Anyone know a *really* good authentic chinese cook book? I've been looking for a long time. All I get is bits and pieces of advice from here and there.
April 11, 2009
While shopping for a wok scrubber, the manager of the Sur la Table in Pike Place Market suggested this book -much more than a cookbook - and I am loving it. The recipes look like ones I would make again and again.
March 12, 2016
The photos in the author's other cookbook, Stirfrying to the Sky's Edge were MUCH better. But this book was good too. There was more information about different kinds of woks and how they are made. And there seemed to be a better variety of recipes. Looking forward to trying some!
July 21, 2021
An excellent introduction to the history and techniques for cooking in a wok. The first section expounds upon Grace Young's foray into her cultural heritage and the history of the wok. Many delicious recipes follow in the second part of the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews