Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival began on the 1st of February 2022, marking the start of a new lunar year: The year of the tiger. A symbol of strength and bravery.

For all you Chinese food lovers, here’s some advice about the cookware items that are essential in any kitchen.

A classic wok

The wok is one of the most widely used cooking utensils and the most important one in Chinese cooking. Widely used for a range of Chinese cooking techniques, including stir-frying, steaming, deep frying, poaching, braising, searing, stewing, making soup, smoking and roasting nuts.

The wok is a must-have for every Chinese family.

Woks are available in different materials including carbon steel, cast iron, non-stick and aluminium; with a long handle or two side handles.

The SQ Professional Carbon Steel wok comes with a non-stick coating in 2 sizes, 28cm and 34cm. It is suitable for all hob types including induction.

Woks with a lid, for meals that need a longer cooking time

A wok with a lid can be a fuss-free way of ensuring your meal remains warm and covered up, and your kitchen surfaces stay spic and span.

A wok with a lid for steaming, boiling and bringing up the temperature for things that need a bit of a longer cooking time.

SQ Professional Una non-stick woks with lids, are available in various sizes, from 24cm to 32cm with two side handles or one long handle.

Rice cookers

Chinese food relies heavily on the inclusion of rice. Having a good rice cooker will save you time and money in the long run. Rice cookers are a fantastic addition to any busy kitchen with a number of exclusive features.

Rice cookers are the most essential of all electronic Chinese cooking tools and can be used for pressure boiling or steaming rice and other things. They are more heat efficient than hob cooking as they are well insulated and maintain steam pressure well.

SQ Professional rice cookers come in different sizes, with a 1-touch button and keep warm function that ensures the food is kept warm until it’s ready to be served, for up to 12 hours. Convenient indicator lights allow you to see when your rice is cooking or when is just being kept warm.

Food processor

This versatile machine can take over much of the work of a knife or cleaver and do many jobs in seconds that might otherwise be difficult or extremely time-consuming.

A full-size processor generally comes with a wide range of attachments and can handle a wide range of tasks. With the steel blade, you can chop, mince, and puree both vegetables and meat and can knead dough. With the slicing disk, you can slice fresh or frozen meat, cube meat and vegetables, and chop a single scallion or a bunch of them. With the shredding disk, you can shred such firm ingredients as potatoes, turnips, and bamboo shoots.

The K-Mojo DigiMaster is a versatile appliance with an attachment for every need whether you are chopping, slicing, beating, creaming or even making ice cream.

Steams

Another Chinese cooking essential is a steamer, which allows you to make multiple dishes at once by stacking layer upon layer. Often used to steam dumplings and buns.

The SQ professional steamer is crafted from premium 18/10 stainless steel, providing excellent cooking results alongside incredible durability. This material does not leach off any of its metallic properties into food. The three-layer system allows for cooking various food simultaneously, or phased steaming when certain items have different times.

The Lustro steamer comes with a tempered glass lid with a steam vent, allowing you to keep an eye on your cooking. It is suitable for all types of hobs, including induction.