▁stick - res istant ▁co ating . ▁ ▁Season ing ▁is ▁required ▁on ▁cast - ir on ▁cook ware ▁and ▁carbon ▁steel , ▁which ▁rust ▁rapidly ▁when ▁he ated ▁in ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁available ▁o xygen , ▁not ably ▁from ▁water , ▁even ▁small ▁quantities ▁such ▁as ▁dri ppings ▁from ▁dry ▁meat . ▁Food ▁tends ▁to ▁stick ▁to ▁un season ed ▁iron ▁and ▁carbon ▁steel ▁cook ware , ▁both ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁season ed ▁for ▁this ▁reason ▁as ▁well . ▁Some ▁cast - ir on ▁cook ware ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁manufact urer ▁pre - season ed ; ▁most ▁requires ▁the ▁user ▁to ▁season ▁it . ▁ ▁St ain less ▁steel ▁or ▁cast ▁al umin ium ▁do ▁not ▁require ▁protection ▁from ▁cor ros ion ▁but ▁season ing ▁may ▁reduce ▁stick ing . ▁Other ▁cook ware ▁surfaces ▁are ▁generally ▁not ▁season ed . ▁ ▁Method s ▁of ▁season ing ▁ ▁Food ▁st icks ▁easily ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁bare ▁metal ▁pan ; ▁it ▁must ▁either ▁be ▁o iled ▁before ▁use , ▁or ▁season ed . ▁The ▁co ating ▁known ▁as ▁season ing ▁is ▁initially ▁created ▁by ▁a ▁process ▁of ▁layer ing ▁a ▁very ▁thin ▁coat ▁of ▁oil ▁on ▁the ▁pan . ▁Then , ▁the ▁oil ▁is ▁decom posed ▁on ▁the ▁metal ' s ▁surface ▁with ▁high ▁heat ▁for ▁a ▁time . ▁ ▁The ▁base ▁coat ▁will ▁dark en ▁with ▁use . ▁ ▁This ▁process ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁" season ing "; ▁the ▁color ▁of ▁the ▁co ating ▁is ▁commonly ▁known ▁as ▁its ▁" pat ina ".