FOOD SMOKING WOODS AND THEIR PROPERTIES
Pretty much any type of meat is better when it's perfectly smoked. From beef and poultry to fish, wild game and vegetables, smoking produces unique flavors you can't get on a gas grill. But not every type of wood works well for smoking, and not every brand is the best. Wood for smoking is ALWAYS a hardwood. Most Softwoods, like pine, cedar, etc. are too resinous and will ruin the flavor of your meat. Lots of types of trees are hardwood, and many are sustainably harvested right here in the United States. Some of the most common hardwoods for smoking are hickory, oak, maple, and fruitwoods. These are available as chips, chunks, and pellets. THIS TABLE IS NOT SORTABLE
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WOOD TYPE FLAVOR PROPERTIES
Acacia Has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy. These trees are in the same family as mesquite. A very hot burning wood.
Alder Light with a hint of sweet flavor. Great mixed with apple wood chips. People having more interest in seafood will surely love Alder. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds. Alder wood chips are popular for cooking fish and poultry.
Almond A sweet smoke flavor with a light ash residue. Good with all meats.
Apple Very mild dense wood with a sweet smoky flavor. Tastes great mixed or alone. Best for delicate proteins like fish and poultry, but they also contribute sweet and delicious notes to more flavorful meats like game and beef. Use apple wood in your smoker box for some of the best baby back pork ribs ever. It gives a different type of flavor, which is very mellow. Chicken and pork are the best meats for these types of woods for smoking. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.
Apricot Milder and sweeter than hickory. Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Ash Light but distinctive flavor. Fast Burner Good with fish and red meats.
Bay Laurel Source of dried Bay Leaves. Good with red meats and wild game.
Beech Light with a hint of sweet flavor. Great mixed with apple wood chips. Mild enough to be used on seafood and works well with salmon as well as other fish. You can use it on other foods with mild flavors, including chicken and pork
Birch A flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry. CAUTION - The White Bark of a Paper Birch contains a large amount of Turpentine DO NOT USE IT!
Black Walnut Heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like pecan or apple. Usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and wild game.
Butternut Heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like pecan or apple. Also known as White Walnut. Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and wild game.
Carrotwood Bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and wild game.
Cherry Mild and fruity smoke flavor. Great mixed with other woods like hickory or mesquite. Chicken, turkey, and ham lovers always prefer cherry as the best wood type for smokers. If you use it with hickory, both are going to produce delicious food you will surely love. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor. Cherry chips are great for beef, pork, or salmon.
Chestnut A slightly sweet nutty aroma. Good with most meats
Cottonwood very subtle in flavor. It is a softer wood than alder. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don’t use green cottonwood for smoking.
Crabapple Very mild dense wood with a sweet smoky flavor. Tastes great mixed or alone. Similar to apple wood.
English Walnut Heavy smoke flavor. Usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and wild game.
Fig Rich and fruity with hints of sweet berry. Just the smell of the smoke will make you hungry.
Grape Vines Tart, rich and fruity. Sweet berry flavor great mixed with apple wood chips. Provides a lot of smoke. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb. Grape wood chips taste great with chicken or other poultry.
Grapefruit A nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
Guava / Kaiwe Adds a subtle and sweet aroma of fruit. Great for beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish and most vegetables.
Hickory Strong hickory is the most popular smoking wood with a bold and robust flavor The most popular wood used for smoking pork, beef, ham and game. An American hardwood that produces an intense flavor reminiscent of bacon. Grill masters generally mix apple and hickory wood when smoking pork ribs. You can also use it to add flavor and color to your meats. Excessive amounts tend to impart a bitter taste, so use with caution. Most commonly used wood for smoking.
Kaiwe / Guava Adds a subtle and sweet aroma of fruit. Great for beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish and most vegetables.
Lemon A nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
Lilac Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb. Lilac produces a good supply of mild, sweet smoke. A popular wood for smoked cheese, but also good for poultry and pork.
Madrone A sweet aroma and flavor. Distinct, pleasing flavor similar to Mesquite, but not as harsh.
Manzanita Produces a flavor similar to hickory, but without the overbearing characteristics. Good for smoking pork, beef, and wild game.
Maple Mild and sweet flavor. Easy to mix with any wood, especially hickory and apple A subtle smoke flavor is an outcome if you smoke maple wood, a sweet, light smoke with excellent flavor. You can smoke poultry, or pork with the help of this wood. Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds. Great for smoking steak, cheese, vegetables and small game.
Mesquite Intense bold earthy flavor that is a great mixing wood with any other type of wood chip. A great choice for pork, beef, and chicken, but also is great for smoking vegetables. Mesquite is very popular for it's spicy and sweet flavor and it will give your food good color, too. We like to smoke with mesquite for poultry when grilling. The intense smoke flavor isn't overpowering since the meats don't sit on the barbecue for very long. If you plan to grill meat, we recommend you Mesquite. People use it because of its strength and a unique type of taste. Red meat is the most smoked meat by Mesquite. Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning.
Mulberry Sweet and berry finish with a gourmet taste. The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple. Mulberry chips are taste great with ham and chicken.
Nectarine Milder and sweeter than hickory. Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Olive A similar flavor to mesquite, but it’s a lighter flavor. Olive smoking wood tastes best with poultry.
Orange A nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
Peach A rare soft wood that has a sweet smoky finish. Can be mixed with any type of wood. Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Pear A subtle yet sweet flavor that is great paired with apple wood chips. A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork. Poultry, game birds and pork.
Pecan Similar flavor profile to Hickory with a mild flavor that can be paired with any wood. You might not find a sweeter flavor than the flavor produced by Pecan. You might have to add some other wood to balance the sweet taste created by Pecan. People smoke ribs and roasts using Pecan. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood Great paired with all types of meats.
Persimmon Strong Pine flavor with a smooth finish that is not too smoky. Red Meats.
Pimento An aroma, which is very similar to that of bay leaves. It will infuse food with this bay leaf fragrance along with a rich smoke that has notes of eucalyptus. THIS is the wood that gives authentic Jamaican Jerk chicken it's unique flavor.
Plum The flavor is milder and sweeter than apple wood and great for mixing with other wood profiles. Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Red Oak Heavy smoke flavor. Oak chips can be paired with any type of wood. The best meats to smoke with Oak are pork, lamb, beef, sausage, or brisket. When we are smoking big game (like deer) we reach for red oak, The smoke creates great color on your food. Cooking with oak is a great way to get started smoking. Seafood is also a great choice for smoking with oak. Many of our favorite venison recipes take advantage of the woods ability to color and flavor without hiding the great natural flavors we love.
White Oak Heavy smoke flavor. Oak chips can be paired with any type of wood. All oak varieties are reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.
Willow Adds a sweet flavor to food that is hard to beat. Works great with most oily Seafoods. It is used by many who make their own sausages, hams, etc.
SMOKING WOOD TYPES Acacia, Alder, Almond, Apple, Apricot, Ash, Bay Laurel,Beech, Birch, Black Walnut, Butternut, Carrotwood, Cherry & Choke Cherry, Chestnut, Cottonwood, Crabapple, English Walnut, Fig, Grape Vines, Grapefruit, Guava / Kaiwe, Hickory, Kaiwe / Guava, Lemon, Lilac, Madrone, Manzanita, Maple, Mesquite, Mulberry, Nectarine, Olive, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pecan, Persimmon, Pimento, Plum, Red Oak, White Oak, Willow 
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In   no   event   shall   RonK’s   Kitchen,   its   affiliates   and   its   third   party   providers   be   liable   to   you   or   any   third   parties   for   any illness   or   damages   of   any   kind,   direct   or   indirect,   arising   out   of,   or   in   any   way   connected   with,   your   use   of   the   information or   recipes   provided   on,   or   accessed   through,   this   website.   Service   provider,   its   affiliates   and   its   third   party   providers disclaim   any   liability,   loss   or   obligation   in   connection   with   the   content   provided   on   this   website.   This   website,   and   the recipes   and   information   on   this   website,   are   provided   strictly   "as   is"   and   without   warranty   of   any   kind,   and   should   not   be construed   in   any   way   as   medical   advice   or   instruction.   Consult   the   appropriate   health   professionals   before   using   any   of the   recipes   or   information   on   this   website.   Your   use   of   quality   ingredients   and   safe   cooking   practices   are   your responsibility.
FOOD SMOKING WOODS AND THEIR PROPERTIES
Pretty much any type of meat is better when it's perfectly smoked. From beef and poultry to fish, wild game and vegetables, smoking produces unique flavors you can't get on a gas grill. But not every type of wood works well for smoking, and not every brand is the best. Wood for smoking is ALWAYS a hardwood. Most Softwoods, like pine, cedar, etc. are too resinous and will ruin the flavor of your meat. Lots of types of trees are hardwood, and many are sustainably harvested right here in the United States. Some of the most common hardwoods for smoking are hickory, oak, maple, and fruitwoods. These are available as chips, chunks, and pellets. THIS TABLE IS NOT SORTABLE
JUMP To TOP
WOOD TYPE FLAVOR PROPERTIES
Acacia Has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy. These trees are in the same family as mesquite. A very hot burning wood.
Alder Light with a hint of sweet flavor. Great mixed with apple wood chips. People having more interest in seafood will surely love Alder. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds. Alder wood chips are popular for cooking fish and poultry.
Almond A sweet smoke flavor with a light ash residue. Good with all meats.
Apple Very mild dense wood with a sweet smoky flavor. Tastes great mixed or alone. Best for delicate proteins like fish and poultry, but they also contribute sweet and delicious notes to more flavorful meats like game and beef. Use apple wood in your smoker box for some of the best baby back pork ribs ever. It gives a different type of flavor, which is very mellow. Chicken and pork are the best meats for these types of woods for smoking. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.
Apricot Milder and sweeter than hickory. Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Ash Light but distinctive flavor. Fast Burner Good with fish and red meats.
Bay Laurel Source of dried Bay Leaves. Good with red meats and wild game.
Beech Light with a hint of sweet flavor. Great mixed with apple wood chips. Mild enough to be used on seafood and works well with salmon as well as other fish. You can use it on other foods with mild flavors, including chicken and pork
Birch A flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry. CAUTION - The White Bark of a Paper Birch contains a large amount of Turpentine DO NOT USE IT!
Black Walnut Heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like pecan or apple. Usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and wild game.
Butternut Heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like pecan or apple. Also known as White Walnut. Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and wild game.
Carrotwood Bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and wild game.
Cherry Mild and fruity smoke flavor. Great mixed with other woods like hickory or mesquite. Chicken, turkey, and ham lovers always prefer cherry as the best wood type for smokers. If you use it with hickory, both are going to produce delicious food you will surely love. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor. Cherry chips are great for beef, pork, or salmon.
Chestnut A slightly sweet nutty aroma. Good with most meats
Cottonwood very subtle in flavor. It is a softer wood than alder. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don’t use green cottonwood for smoking.
Crabapple Very mild dense wood with a sweet smoky flavor. Tastes great mixed or alone. Similar to apple wood.
English Walnut Heavy smoke flavor. Usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and wild game.
Fig Rich and fruity with hints of sweet berry. Just the smell of the smoke will make you hungry.
Grape Vines Tart, rich and fruity. Sweet berry flavor great mixed with apple wood chips. Provides a lot of smoke. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb. Grape wood chips taste great with chicken or other poultry.
Grapefruit A nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
Guava / Kaiwe Adds a subtle and sweet aroma of fruit. Great for beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish and most vegetables.
Hickory Strong hickory is the most popular smoking wood with a bold and robust flavor The most popular wood used for smoking pork, beef, ham and game. An American hardwood that produces an intense flavor reminiscent of bacon. Grill masters generally mix apple and hickory wood when smoking pork ribs. You can also use it to add flavor and color to your meats. Excessive amounts tend to impart a bitter taste, so use with caution. Most commonly used wood for smoking.
Kaiwe / Guava Adds a subtle and sweet aroma of fruit. Great for beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish and most vegetables.
Lemon A nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
Lilac Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb. Lilac produces a good supply of mild, sweet smoke. A popular wood for smoked cheese, but also good for poultry and pork.
Madrone A sweet aroma and flavor. Distinct, pleasing flavor similar to Mesquite, but not as harsh.
Manzanita Produces a flavor similar to hickory, but without the overbearing characteristics. Good for smoking pork, beef, and wild game.
Maple Mild and sweet flavor. Easy to mix with any wood, especially hickory and apple A subtle smoke flavor is an outcome if you smoke maple wood, a sweet, light smoke with excellent flavor. You can smoke poultry, or pork with the help of this wood. Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds. Great for smoking steak, cheese, vegetables and small game.
Mesquite Intense bold earthy flavor that is a great mixing wood with any other type of wood chip. A great choice for pork, beef, and chicken, but also is great for smoking vegetables. Mesquite is very popular for it's spicy and sweet flavor and it will give your food good color, too. We like to smoke with mesquite for poultry when grilling. The intense smoke flavor isn't overpowering since the meats don't sit on the barbecue for very long. If you plan to grill meat, we recommend you Mesquite. People use it because of its strength and a unique type of taste. Red meat is the most smoked meat by Mesquite. Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning.
Mulberry Sweet and berry finish with a gourmet taste. The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple. Mulberry chips are taste great with ham and chicken.
Nectarine Milder and sweeter than hickory. Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Olive A similar flavor to mesquite, but it’s a lighter flavor. Olive smoking wood tastes best with poultry.
Orange A nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
Peach A rare soft wood that has a sweet smoky finish. Can be mixed with any type of wood. Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Pear A subtle yet sweet flavor that is great paired with apple wood chips. A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork. Poultry, game birds and pork.
Pecan Similar flavor profile to Hickory with a mild flavor that can be paired with any wood. You might not find a sweeter flavor than the flavor produced by Pecan. You might have to add some other wood to balance the sweet taste created by Pecan. People smoke ribs and roasts using Pecan. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood Great paired with all types of meats.
Persimmon Strong Pine flavor with a smooth finish that is not too smoky. Red Meats.
Pimento An aroma, which is very similar to that of bay leaves. It will infuse food with this bay leaf fragrance along with a rich smoke that has notes of eucalyptus. THIS is the wood that gives authentic Jamaican Jerk chicken it's unique flavor.
Plum The flavor is milder and sweeter than apple wood and great for mixing with other wood profiles. Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Red Oak Heavy smoke flavor. Oak chips can be paired with any type of wood. The best meats to smoke with Oak are pork, lamb, beef, sausage, or brisket. When we are smoking big game (like deer) we reach for red oak, The smoke creates great color on your food. Cooking with oak is a great way to get started smoking. Seafood is also a great choice for smoking with oak. Many of our favorite venison recipes take advantage of the woods ability to color and flavor without hiding the great natural flavors we love.
White Oak Heavy smoke flavor. Oak chips can be paired with any type of wood. All oak varieties are reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.
Willow Adds a sweet flavor to food that is hard to beat. Works great with most oily Seafoods. It is used by many who make their own sausages, hams, etc.
SMOKING WOOD TYPES Acacia, Alder, Almond, Apple, Apricot, Ash, Bay Laurel,Beech, Birch, Black Walnut, Butternut, Carrotwood, Cherry & Choke Cherry, Chestnut, Cottonwood, Crabapple, English Walnut, Fig, Grape Vines, Grapefruit, Guava / Kaiwe, Hickory, Kaiwe / Guava, Lemon, Lilac, Madrone, Manzanita, Maple, Mesquite, Mulberry, Nectarine, Olive, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pecan, Persimmon, Pimento, Plum, Red Oak, White Oak, Willow 
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In   no   event   shall   RonK’s   Kitchen,   its   affiliates   and   its   third   party   providers   be   liable   to   you   or   any   third   parties   for   any   illness   or damages   of   any   kind,   direct   or   indirect,   arising   out   of,   or   in   any   way   connected   with,   your   use   of   the   information   or   recipes provided   on,   or   accessed   through,   this   website.   Service   provider,   its   affiliates   and   its   third   party   providers   disclaim   any liability,   loss   or   obligation   in   connection   with   the   content   provided   on   this   website.   This   website,   and   the   recipes   and information   on   this   website,   are   provided   strictly   "as   is"   and   without   warranty   of   any   kind,   and   should   not   be   construed   in   any way   as   medical   advice   or   instruction.   Consult   the   appropriate   health   professionals   before   using   any   of   the   recipes   or information on this website. Your use of quality ingredients and safe cooking practices are your responsibility.
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