Hardwood Pairing

  • Alder – delicate, slightly sweet: fish, pork, poultry and light game. Traditionally used in the pacific NW to smoke salmon.
  • Apple – slighty sweet but denser; fruity smoke flavor: Goes with beef, pouty, game birds, ham and salmon.
  • Cherry – slightly sweet , fruit smoke flaver: good with all meats and seafood
  • Cedar – mild and aromatic: used in the NW for smoking salmon
  • Grape Vines – aromotic, similar to fruit wood: good with most meat
  • Hickory – pungent, smoky, bacon-like flavor. This is the most common used wood for smoking: great for all smoking but especially on pork and ribs
  • Maple – mildly smoky and sweet: great with pork, poultry, cheese, vegetables and small game birds
  • Mesquite – strong earthy flavor: while this is great with beef and most vegetables, it goes well with other meat too
  • Oak – heavy smoke flavor: good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game
  • Peach – slightly sweet, woodsy flavor: good with most meat
  • Pear – sweet and woodsy flavor: poutlry, game birds and pork
  • Pecan – the flavor is milder  and sweeter than hickory: good with most meats
  • Walnut – very heavy smoke flavor hence tends to be used with lighter woods like pecan or apple. It can be bitter used alone:good with red meats and game