List of woods for smoking meat and other foods

When choosing wood for smoking food, it is important to avoid wood that has been chemically treated or contains resin. The wood must be good for smoking and must be dry, clean, and free from mold or signs of deterioration. Below is a list of some woods that are considered good for smoking meat and other foods.

ACACIA – Acacia wood can be used to smoke food. It burns quickly and leaves a strong, distinctive flavor. The English references are to “Mesquite”, which is from the same family as acacia.

MULBERRY – Mulberry wood can be used to smoke food. The smell is sweet and reminiscent of burning apple wood.

ORANGE – Orange wood can be used to smoke food. It produces a mild, smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.

LEMON TREE – Lemon wood can be used to smoke food. It produces a mild, smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.

BERGAMOT, TWISTED GIRL or TANGERINE – The wood of the tangerine tree can be used to smoke food. It produces a mild, smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.

PEAR – Pear wood can be used to smoke food. A subtle and pleasant smoky flavor. Very similar to apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.

PECAN NUT – Pecan wood can be used to smoke foods. Sweet and mild. Flavorful with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork, and cheese. Pecan produces a superior smoke than other types in many ways.

APRICOT TREE – Apricot wood can be used to smoke food. Great for most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork, and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.

PLUM – Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork, and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.

PEACH – Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork, and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.

NECTARINE(peach variety) – Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork, and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than walnut.

WALNUT – Strong smoky flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods such as almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats.

AVOCADO TREE – Produces a mild to medium smoke, with a stronger fruity flavor to a pleasant fruity-sweet flavor. Suitable for smoking fish, chicken, red meat, as well as poultry.

GUAVA TREE – Guava wood can be used to smoke foods. Guava wood offers a unique and versatile flavor that can be used on a wide range of foods, from poultry and pork to beef and fish. It is also a good choice for smoking vegetables, adding a subtle sweetness that enhances their natural flavors.

FIG TREE – Fig wood for smoking can be used to smoke meats and has a floral aroma. It burns quickly and generates a lot of heat.

CHESTNUT TREE – Chestnut has a sweet, nutty flavor. It goes great with most meats, especially red meats. A little stronger than pecans, it’s a good choice if you’re looking for a sweet flavor.

PERSIMMON TREE – Persimmon wood for smoking offers a medium pine-like smoke flavor and a slightly sweet taste. Suitable for smoking fish, chicken, beef, lamb and vegetables.

ALDER – Delicate and sweet flavor. Good for smoking fish, pork and chicken.

ALMOND – A sweet, smoky flavor. Good with all meats.

APPLE TREE – Very mild with a subtle, slightly sweet fruity flavor. Good with poultry (turns the skin dark brown) and pork.

CHERRY – Cherry wood can be used to smoke food. The smoke from burning creates a mild, fruity flavor. It goes well with poultry, pork, and beef. Cherry wood, like apple wood, is very good for smoking because it has a mild flavor that everyone likes.

VINEYARD – Grape wood can be used to smoke food. Wood from the grape vine. Provides plenty of smoke and has a sour, rich, fruity flavor. Good with poultry, red meat, game, and lamb.

OAK – Oak wood can be used for smoking food. Dense, heavy smoke. RED OAK is good on ribs, WHITE OAK produces the best coals for longer burning. All varieties of oak are reported to be suitable for smoking. Good with all types of meat, red, pork, fish and poultry.

ASH – Fast-burning firewood, has a light but very characteristic flavor. Good with fish and red meat.

BIRCH – It is a type of oak, a harder wood, with a flavor similar to that of the wood of the maple tree. Good with pork and poultry.

AMERICAN COTTON or COTTONWOOD – is a plant native to North America, common in the United States, Canada and northeastern Mexico. It is a soft wood with a very subtle flavor. Use it for burning, but add some pieces of other woods (walnut, oak, pecan) for more flavor.

HICKORY – Trees in this family are most commonly found in Asia and northern North America. In these regions, it is the wood most commonly used for smoking food. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. Good with pork and beef.

BOARD – Symbolic tree of Canada, when burned it produces a mild and slightly sweet flavor. Good with pork, poultry, cheese and small birds.

CAROBE or MESQUITE – Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish and chicken.

DIOICA PEPPER or ALLSPICY PEPPER – The wood of the allspice tree can be used to smoke food.

What woods can I not use for smoking?

There are some types of wood that are unsuitable or even POISONOUS when used for smoking. Do not use wood from coniferous trees, such as PINE, PINE, PINE, SEQUOIA or any other type of pine or cypress tree.

Avoid using any wood that releases resin when cut to smoke food. Burning the resin can generate toxins.

There are many trees and shrubs that contain components that are toxic to humans. Remember, smoke particles, natural products such as resin, or chemicals applied to the wood, such as varnish or paint, will impregnate the meat or any other food exposed to smoke. Use only clean, well-dried wood without any chemical treatment.

Precautions when collecting wood for smoking

Avoid collecting sawdust from lumberyards or carpentry shops. There may be a mixture of types of wood or wood treated with chemicals. Only use it if you are sure that only wood of the same species considered safe for smoking was used.