What are the various woods used for smoking?
Alder The traditional wood for smoking salmon in the Pacific Northwest, alder also works well with other fish. It has a light delicate flavor. Apple and Cherry Both woods produce a slightly sweet, fruity smoke that’s mild enough for chicken or turkey, but capable of flavoring a ham. Hickory Hickory is the king of the woods in the Southern barbeque belt, as basic to the region’s cooking as cornbread. The strong, hearty taste is perfect for pork shoulder and ribs, but it also enhances any red meat or poultry. Maple Mildly smoky and sweet, maple mates well with poultry, ham, and vegetables. Mesquite The mystique wood of the past decade, mesquite is also America’s most misunderstood wood. It’s great for grilling because it burns very hot, but below average for barbecuing for the same reason. Also, the smoke taste turns from tangy to bitter over an extended cooking time. Few serious pitmasters use mesquite, despite a lot of stories about its prevalence in the Southwest. Oak If hickory is th
