Tim Chin is a professional cook and writer who has contributed to Serious Eats and America’s Test Kitchen. A graduate of The International Culinary Center, Tim has cooked at restaurants in New York and Boston, working at Rouge Tomate, Northern Spy, and BiSq.

Tim Chin

Wok hei in a bottle. Is it possible?  <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/guides-tools/science-of-wok-hei">Wok hei</a> is elusive. The smoky, deeply savory aroma and flavor that permeate a plate of [link https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/beef-chow-fun-gon-chow-ngau-ho Beef Chow Fun] or stir-fried greens are created in fleeting moments while managing a wok set over intense heat. But what if you could hack the process by distilling “the breath of the wok” into a condiment that can approximate the aroma and flavor of dish stir-fried by an expert?  Well, let us introduce you to our Instant Wok Hei! The premise is simple: Smoke out your kitchen once, so you don’t have to smoke it out again for a while. The oil combines many of the base flavors of classic stir-fries—plenty of alliums, a touch of soy sauce—with a little boost from liquid smoke. Using controlled and sustained combustion, we can generate that iconic smoke and char flavor, along with the all-important volatile aromatic compounds.  Add just a spoonful of this condiment to your favorite stir-fry or rice dish, and you’ve got instant takeout vibes—with zero delivery fees and no smoke detector incidents.