J. Kenji López-Alt's new cookbook The Wok features more than 200 recipes highlighting the versatility of the wok. Along the way, he shares the science behind that versatility and how to master cooking basics. J. Kenji López-Alt hide caption

J. Kenji López-Alt's new cookbook The Wok features more than 200 recipes highlighting the versatility of the wok. Along the way, he shares the science behind that versatility and how to master cooking basics.

What's the most versatile pan in the kitchen? According to chef and cookbook author J. Kenji López-Alt, it's the wok! And along with spices, he sprinkles science explainers into his writing. Today's episode is just that — the science of the wok in action. He and host Emily Kwong talk about how to choose, season and cook with one, and why its unique shape makes it so versatile. Plus, we hear how Emily fared cooking one of Kenji's dishes from his new cookbook The Wok.

This episode was produced by Berly McCoy, edited by Rebecca Ramirez and Gabriel Spitzer, and fact-checked by Rachel Carlson and Margaret Cirino. The field engineer was Natasha Branch and the audio engineer was Josh Newell.