A wok is a deep round-bottomed cooking pot from China. It is believed to be derived from the South Asian karahi. It is common in China and similar pans are found in parts of East, South and Southeast Asia, as well as being popular in other parts of the world.
Woks are used in a range of Chinese cooking techniques, including stir frying, steaming, pan frying, deep frying, poaching, boiling, braising, searing, stewing, making soup, smoking and roasting nuts. Wok cooking is often done with utensils called chǎn (spatula) or shāo (ladle) whose long handles protect cooks from high heat. The uniqueness of wok cooking is conveyed by the Cantonese cuisine term wok hei: "breath of the wok".