The Consumer Product Safety Commission is considering a nationwide ban on gas stoves which has lovers of Asian cuisine and other chefs concerned, reports Marketwatch.
The flame from a gas stove can touch the sides of the wok, providing the even heat considered essential for Chinese cooking and even Korean Barbeque.
“So my wok is pretty much used for everything,” said Charlene Luo. “I use it to stir-fry, to deep-fry. I use it to steam things, boil things, braise things.”
“If you’re making char kway teow, which is a kind of Singaporean noodle dish, you really want something like a wok to prepare it,” Genevieve Yam, a culinary editor at Serious Eats said. “There are just some things that you can’t really replicate in a Dutch oven or a cast-iron skillet or a nonstick pan — simply just because those vessels don’t conduct heat in the same way.”
Similar bans are already in effect for new construction in California and one in New York is scheduled to be in place next year.
RELATED: LA gas stove ban could impact Chinese restaurants, Korean BBQ
Federal regulators are investigating whether gas stoves increase respiratory and certain cancer risks. There’s also concern that gas stoves contribute to global warming.
CPSC commissioner Richard Trumka Jr called gas stoves “a hidden hazard.”
“To be clear, CPSC isn’t coming for anyone’s gas stoves. Regulations apply to new products,” Trumka said.
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I need somebody to write back to me about the ban on gas stoves. I am putting together a petition on the White House website for people to sign but we need an army to overturn the ban on gas stoves.
So, I need help. Please write back to tell me how you may be able to reach the Asain community to sign the petition. Thank you.
Please write me back.
If you go ahead with the petition, let us know and we’ll help get the word out. Thank you.