wok hei

noun

The slightly seared flavour imparted to food that has been traditionally cooked in a seasoned wok.

OriginCantonese 鑊氣 /镬气 →
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounwok hei (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe slightly seared flavour imparted to food that has been traditionally cooked in a seasoned wok.

    Seafood flavors combine with the pork stock and it's simmered until the liquid evaporates and the contents are brought just to the brink of burning, resulting in creamy-textured noodles and a magic boost of wok hei flavor.

    2016, Glenn van Zutphen, Living in Singapore: Fourteenth Edition Reference Guide

Origin

  1. Cantonese鑊氣 /镬气
  2. Englishwok hei

Borrowed from Cantonese 鑊氣 /镬气 (wok6 hei3).

More words from Cantonese

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

wok hei. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wok%20hei

MLA

“wok hei.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wok%20hei. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wok hei,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wok%20hei.

Source: wok hei on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.