Explore a Symphony of Woods for Smoking and Grilling!

    An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree. Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus Malus. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found. 

    There are many varieties of apple tree, some producing sweet fruit and others tart fruit. I wonder if the smoke flavor characteristics of the trees is similar 

Apple wood offers a more fruity and sweet taste, and is a weaker tasting wood. Apple wood requires a bit of extra time in order to really seep into foods and for the foods to really adapt the flavor.

• Pork butt
• Ribs
• Chicken
• Wildfowl

Apple wood is perfect for Low & Slow sessions. The longer it takes, the better it tastes. 

   A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy drupe. Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet Prunus avium and the sour Prunus cerasus. 

 Cherry is mild and fruity, and when mixed with other hardwood like hickory, the two flavors compliment each other for an amazing result.  

   Cherry – Very versatile and popular for adding a sweet mild flavor with a great fruity taste. Perfect with poultry, pork, turkey, ham and beef 

Cherry provides a fruity flavor to your BBQ and occasionally adds a beautiful red tint on poultry and pork. Cherry is perfect for:

• Beef
• Poultry
• Pork
• Fish
• Turkey

Cherry is definitely one of the most delicious and eye-catching woods to work with. 

 The pecan is a species of hickory native to the southern United States and northern Mexico in the region of the Mississippi River. The tree is cultivated for its seed primarily in the U.S. states of Georgia, New Mexico, and Texas, and in Mexico.   

 Pecan will lend a rich, sweet, nutty flavor. In fact, the wood is so sweet that you may want to use a combination of it with another harder wood to balance out . 

Pecan seeds are edible, with a rich, buttery flavor. They can be eaten fresh, roasted or used in cooking, particularly in sweet desserts, such as pecan pie, a traditional Southern U.S. dish. Butter pecan is also a common flavor in cookies, cakes, and ice creams. Pecans are a significant ingredient in American praline candy. Other applications of cooking with pecans include pecan oil and pecan butter.

Pecan wood is used in making furniture and wood flooring, as well as flavoring fuel for smoking meats, giving grilled foods a sweet and nutty flavor stronger than many fruit woods.

Not only are the nuts of this tree awesome, we also really enjoy its wood to grill our meats with! Pecan belongs to the hickory tree family and offers a strong flavor characteristic. Since Pecan burns very slowly, It is best used for longer BBQs like Low & Slow barbecue. Try it for the following meats:

• Pork
• Beef
• Poultry
• Cheese

But be careful since pecan tends to become pungent when used in a high quantity. To prevent that, try mixing pecan along with another type of wood, like Hickory or Oak.  

   Among commercial barbecue cooks, pecan seems to be the least popular hardwood, but it's often mentioned among the favorites of backyard cooks.  

 An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus Quercus of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne in a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere; it includes some 500 species, both deciduous and evergreen. 

 Oak is a mild smoking wood and is a good choice for everyone who does not like a strong smokey flavor, or for those who plan to grill seafood or fish.   

 Barrels for aging wines, sherry, and spirits such as brandy and Scotch whisky are made from oak, with single barrel malt whiskies fetching a premium. The use of oak in wine adds a range of flavors. Oak barrels, which may be charred before use, contribute to their contents' color, taste, and aroma, imparting a desirable oaky vanillin flavor. A dilemma for wine producers is to choose between French and American oak woods. French oaks  give greater refinement and are chosen for the best, most expensive wines. American oak contributes greater texture and resistance to ageing, but produces a more powerful bouquet. Oak wood chips are used for smoking foods such as fish, meat, and cheese.[86][87] The bark of the cork oak is used to produce cork stoppers for wine bottles. This species grows around the Mediterranean Sea; Portugal, Spain, Algeria, and Morocco produce most of the world's supply.  

Oak is a mild smoking wood and is a good choice for everyone who does not like a strong smokey flavor, or for those who plan to grill seafood or fish. It's also perfect for meats like:

• Lamb
• Brisket
• Sausages
• Pork
• Fish

As you can see, Oak is also very versatile and is ideal for preserving the natural taste of a dish.

Cedrus, with the common English name cedar, is a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae. They are native to the mountains of the western Himalayas and the Mediterranean region, occurring at altitudes of 1,500–3,200 m in the Himalayas and 1,000–2,200 m in the Mediterranean.  

 You can use cedar for flavoring your food like with cedar plank salmon, but I wouldn't recommend using it as a primary smoke wood.    

 While cedar is the standard wood source found in stores, we suggest grilling lamb on olive planks, beef on black cherry, and chicken on sugar maple.