A wok ladle is a large spoon whose bowl and angle has been specially designed to work inside the curvature of woks.
The bowl part of the ladle is shallow, and typically made out of a metal such as stainless steel. The bowl will be solid with no perforations in it.
The angle at which the bowl is attached to the handle is such that makes it suitable for use in the curvature of a wok.
The handle will be long, sometimes up to 45 cm (18 inches) to help keep the hands of the cook away from the intense heat of a wok. The handle may be metal or wood, or both. A current popular combination is a handle of metal, tipped by wood which stays cool for the user’s hand.
Plastic wok ladles made of silicone are available for use with coated non-stick woks, to avoid scratching the non-stick surfaces of them.
The ladle is used for cooking soups, stews, sauces, etc.
A wok ladle is often used at the same time as a wok spatula, with one in each hand. A right-handled chef will use a wok spatula in the right hand, and a wok ladle in the left hand. In fact, the two are often sold together as sets.
Some cooks use only a wok ladle, using it for the tossing and moving about of food that the spatula is meant for.