Sturdy woods:

Historically, strong-flavored woods resembling mesquite, oak, maple, and hickory are principally utilized in grilling lamb, beef, and pork. Personally, I take into account oak an excellent medium-flavored base for mixing with different extremely fragrant woods (resembling mesquite and hickory) and for grilling recreation birds or fish.

Medium woods:

These woods don’t have overwhelming flavors, like mesquite or hickory, however they nonetheless have quite a lot of character and particular taste accents. Observe that there are not any actual guidelines about what wooden works finest with what meat, fish, or poultry. Experiment and type your individual opinion.

Acacia (a bit just like mesquite)—good for meats and greens

Apple, pear, crab apple, manzanita (candy and fruity)—good for every thing, together with curing meats

California bay (spicy)—good for meats (I’ve not tried it with fish or poultry but)

Beech (like oak, an excellent base)—good for meats, fish, recreation birds, poultry, and greens

Birch (slight similarities to maple)—good for meat, fish, and poultry; strive it with bacon too

Grape (fruity)—good with recreation birds and strong-flavored meats, resembling lamb and goat

Juniper—medium robust, so combine with different woods; I adore it with seafood

Maple (candy and fruity)—I like this wooden with every thing; nice for curing bacon, ham, and different meats

Mulberry—I haven’t experimented with it but, however it appears to have similarities to manzanita or apple wooden

Olive—hints of mesquite; a incredible wooden for my part, good for every thing

Walnut—considerably robust and bitter, use sparingly with different woods; nice with recreation meats

Gentle woods:

These woods have gentle and sometimes delicate flavors. When creating a mix, any of those woods can present an excellent base, and you’ll add some stronger woods for added flavors.

Alder—good for meats, fish, recreation birds, poultry, and greens

Almond (a bit candy)—good for meats, fish, recreation birds, poultry, and greens

Avocado—good for meats, fish, recreation birds, poultry, and greens

Cherry (fruity and good for mixing)—good for meats, fish, recreation birds, poultry, and greens

Cottonwood—fairly a impartial taste, for my part; use with different woods for flavors

Fig (gentle and fruity)—I exploit fig typically and for cooking every thing; it makes a terrific base to mix with different woods

Lilac (gentle, fruity, and spicy)—nice with fish, poultry, and greens

Pecan/chestnut (gentle, fruity)—good for meats, fish, recreation birds, poultry, and greens

Willow (gentle and a tad bitter)—a terrific base to mix with stronger woods

Different woods that can be utilized:

Ash, orange, lemon, grapefruit, apricot, plum, peach, nectarine. Washed seaweed has been historically utilized in Europe for cooking/grilling shellfish.

Not for use:

Fir, pine, spruce, cedar, redwood, cypress, elm, sycamore, candy gum.

Though eucalyptus wooden will not be beneficial in the USA, it’s utilized in Australia for its distinctive flavors. I exploit it very sparingly.

Additionally observe that, in France, a standard dish known as éclade options mussels cooked and smoked in pine needles. It’s fairly scrumptious.