Barbecue Wood Types for Smoking

It is well known that you can smoke the food even with a charcoal or gas grill, as long as you get a smoker box and some wood chips. However, here the wood chips should be chosen carefully. Not any types of wood will make your food come with appealing smokey aroma.

The most commonly used barbecue wood types are as follows, classified accordingly by how strong they lend the aroma (from mild to strong).

Alder:

Lends a delicate flavor to the food, better match with easily-done food such as fish, poultry, and sometimes with pork.

Apple:

Very mild and slightly sweet, lends fruity flavor to the food. Well matched with beef, poultry, pork (especially ham).

Cherry:

Mild and fruity, slight bitter than apple. Good with poultry, game birds, and pork.

Peach and pear:

Similar to apple and cherry, but gives a wee bit woodsier flavor. Good with poultry, game birds, and pork.

Hickory:

One of the most commonly used barbecue woods, has a strong bacon flavor. Well matched with poultry, pork, beef, ham, and game birds.

Maple:

Smokey and slightly sweet. Good with vegetables, ham, pork, poultry.

Pecan:

A cool burner, similar in taste to hickory but a bit more subtle. Good with poultry, pork, lamb, and cheese.

Oak:

Similar to mesquite, sometimes a little acidic; all oak types are suitable for smoking. Good with poultry, pork, and beef.

Mesquite:

Another type of highly used wood, a hot burner, sweet and earthy flavor with slight bitter aftertaste. Well matched with poultry, game birds, lamb and beef.

As many smokers mentioned, the woods can be blended while smoking, just like how people mix different spices in making seasonings. It is suggest to have a try, if you are a somewhat experimenter.

Smoker box recommended below if you don’t have a smoker:

Royal Gourmet 13-Inch Wood Chips Smoker Box