🪵 Smoking Woods

Extremely light, neutral, slightly sweet — the most delicate of all

Traditional wood of the American Northwest for salmon. Produces very little smoke and never overwhelms the food's flavor. The right choice when the smoke profile should be almost imperceptible.

Sweet, fruity, delicate — light smoke with fruit notes

The most popular fruit wood. Burns slowly and produces a beautiful mahogany color on the bark. Great blended with cherry for chicken and pork. Doesn't produce enough smoke on its own for very long cooks on large cuts.

Delicate, slightly sweet, red fruit — gives dark red color to meat

Appreciated mostly for the color: its combustion produces a beautiful mahogany-red on the bark that competition judges love. Blended with hickory or pecan is a classic combination for ribs.

Sweet, delicate, slightly caramelized

Similar profile to apple but with a sweeter note. Pairs well with pecan in blends. Great for pulled pork when you want a sweeter profile than classic hickory.

Fruity, slightly acidic, grape notes — Mediterranean character

Byproduct of vine pruning — burns quickly, use more than hardwoods. Fruity, aromatic smoke profile. Widely used in Italian and Provençal cooking traditions.

Clean, earthy, slightly tannic — balanced smoke

The definitive wood of Texas BBQ. Produces cleaner, less aggressive smoke than hickory: lets the beef flavor come through without dominating it. Post oak (Quercus stellata) is the preferred variety, but any dry oak works well.

Nutty, sweet, rich — rounder than hickory, less sharp

The most versatile wood in American BBQ. Produces a sweet, complex smoke that works on almost any cut. In the same family as hickory (American walnut) but milder. An excellent default choice when you don't know guest preferences.

Earthy, herbaceous, slightly bitter — distinctive Mediterranean note

Pruning waste from olive groves — not production olive wood. Burns hot and produces smoke with an unmistakable character. Natural pairing with Mediterranean-marinated lamb.

Earthy, clean, slightly livelier than post oak

The definitive wood for California Santa Maria BBQ. Sets California tri-tip apart from any other tradition. Produces clean smoke and consistent heat on the open pits typical of the local tradition.

Strong, smoky, bacon and hazelnut notes

The most used smoking wood in American BBQ. Versatile but powerful: careful not to overdo it on short cooks as the smoke can turn bitter. On brisket and pulled pork it's the absolute reference if post oak isn't available.

Extremely intense, pungent, earthy, background bitterness

The most powerful of all. On a quick steak or fajita it's sublime; on a 12-hour cook it turns bitter and unpleasant. Ground rule: mesquite only for short, high-temperature cooks. Never on long low & slow.