A Bite of China forges new wok stars

A handcrafted iron wok has become a must-have item for many people after it was featured in a popular TV documentary, sparking the industry to cultivate more young craftsmen to meet the booming demand.

A Bite of China, which shows the relationship between food and people in Chinese culture, returned for its third season on China Central Television on Feb 19 during Spring Festival.

The first episode focused on cookware and featured a brand of iron wok that is handmade in Zhangqiu district in Jinan, Shandong province. The show gave a detailed explanation of how a wok is made in 12 steps, including being hammered 36,000 times to make its bottom like a mirror.