As It's all about the flavours, I have compiled a list of the different types of woods you can use for smoking. As this is a UK forum I have included smoking woods from the UK, however I have included a couple of the American favourites to make Danny feel at home. I am sure there are many other fantastic woods that I have missed, but please feel free to share them with the other forum members.
Happy Smoking
Smokewood
Alder
Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. A sweet musky smoke that is good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds. Traditionally used in the pacific North-west to smoke salmon.
Apple
Apple has a light, fruity, slightly sweet aroma and is commonly used with pork and poultry. I like to use it with pork ribs, and it can be mixed with other smoke woods like oak and cherry with fantastic results.
Ash
A fast burning wood, with a light but distinctive flavour. Good with fish and red meats.
Beech
A mild much used wood like oak. Great for whatever you care to use it with. Good with meat and seafood.
Silver Birch
A medium hard wood with a flavour similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.
Western Red Cedar
The Pacific Northwest of America is renowned for the spicy and fragrant smoke of cedar. The aromatic and full-‐bodied flavour is what creates delicious cedar planked salmon. Cedar is especially good with Salmon or any strong tasting fish, pork chops, poultry, soft cheeses with a rind (Camembert or Brie), mushrooms, tofu, and vegetables.
Cherry
Slightly sweet fruity smoke that's great with poultry . This smoke is a mild, sweet and fruity smoke which gives a rosy tint to light-coloured meats. It has a slight red colour and a subtle, sweet, fruity flavour. It goes well with beef, pork, and poultry and can be mixed with oak and apple.
CRABAPPLE
Very similar to apple wood
Hickory
Hickory is probably the most popular smoke wood used in barbecue, especially pork and ribs. It has a sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavour, and has a strong flavour that complements all meats. Some people find that hickory alone can be overwhelming especially if too much is used. I never use hickory alone, but mix it with oak, and use two parts oak to one part hickory. A good for all round smoking wood and works well with pork, ribs, hams, poultry, and beef.
Lilac
Very light and subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.
Maple
Maple has a mild flavour. Some say it has a slightly sweet flavour because maple is commonly used in the production of maple syrup. Maple goes especially well with pork and poultry. The wood is dense in weight but light in colour.
Mesquite
A Strong earthy flavour. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game.
Mulberry
The smell is sweet and reminds you of apple
Oak
It goes with just about any barbecue meat. It has a medium smoky flavour that is stronger than apple and cherry, but lighter than hickory. As a result, it mixes well with these three woods, but also works great by itself. An excellent wood to start off with.
Pear
Pear has a nice subtle smoke flavour, much like apple, a slight sweet woodsty flavour. It is good with game birds, chicken & pork. It can be mixed with other smoke woods like Oak with good results, but take care not to overpower the delicate flavours.
Whisky Oak
The whisky oak chips come from aged whisky barrels which have been used to store whisky in for the past 9 - 15 years. The mixture of Whisky & Aged Oak gives you the wonderful Whisky Oak smoke flavour. Fantastic for Beef, Chicken, Lamb Pork or Vegetables. For best results soak the wood chips in water for 30 minutes before using on your barbecue. Drain off the excess water and add the wood chips directly onto the lit charcoal, or alternatively double wrap the chips in cooking foil and pierce to allow the fantastic flavours to infuse your food.
Walnut
A very heavy smoke flavour, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Walnut can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.
Happy Smoking
Smokewood
Alder
Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. A sweet musky smoke that is good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds. Traditionally used in the pacific North-west to smoke salmon.
Apple
Apple has a light, fruity, slightly sweet aroma and is commonly used with pork and poultry. I like to use it with pork ribs, and it can be mixed with other smoke woods like oak and cherry with fantastic results.
Ash
A fast burning wood, with a light but distinctive flavour. Good with fish and red meats.
Beech
A mild much used wood like oak. Great for whatever you care to use it with. Good with meat and seafood.
Silver Birch
A medium hard wood with a flavour similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.
Western Red Cedar
The Pacific Northwest of America is renowned for the spicy and fragrant smoke of cedar. The aromatic and full-‐bodied flavour is what creates delicious cedar planked salmon. Cedar is especially good with Salmon or any strong tasting fish, pork chops, poultry, soft cheeses with a rind (Camembert or Brie), mushrooms, tofu, and vegetables.
Cherry
Slightly sweet fruity smoke that's great with poultry . This smoke is a mild, sweet and fruity smoke which gives a rosy tint to light-coloured meats. It has a slight red colour and a subtle, sweet, fruity flavour. It goes well with beef, pork, and poultry and can be mixed with oak and apple.
CRABAPPLE
Very similar to apple wood
Hickory
Hickory is probably the most popular smoke wood used in barbecue, especially pork and ribs. It has a sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavour, and has a strong flavour that complements all meats. Some people find that hickory alone can be overwhelming especially if too much is used. I never use hickory alone, but mix it with oak, and use two parts oak to one part hickory. A good for all round smoking wood and works well with pork, ribs, hams, poultry, and beef.
Lilac
Very light and subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.
Maple
Maple has a mild flavour. Some say it has a slightly sweet flavour because maple is commonly used in the production of maple syrup. Maple goes especially well with pork and poultry. The wood is dense in weight but light in colour.
Mesquite
A Strong earthy flavour. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game.
Mulberry
The smell is sweet and reminds you of apple
Oak
It goes with just about any barbecue meat. It has a medium smoky flavour that is stronger than apple and cherry, but lighter than hickory. As a result, it mixes well with these three woods, but also works great by itself. An excellent wood to start off with.
Pear
Pear has a nice subtle smoke flavour, much like apple, a slight sweet woodsty flavour. It is good with game birds, chicken & pork. It can be mixed with other smoke woods like Oak with good results, but take care not to overpower the delicate flavours.
Whisky Oak
The whisky oak chips come from aged whisky barrels which have been used to store whisky in for the past 9 - 15 years. The mixture of Whisky & Aged Oak gives you the wonderful Whisky Oak smoke flavour. Fantastic for Beef, Chicken, Lamb Pork or Vegetables. For best results soak the wood chips in water for 30 minutes before using on your barbecue. Drain off the excess water and add the wood chips directly onto the lit charcoal, or alternatively double wrap the chips in cooking foil and pierce to allow the fantastic flavours to infuse your food.
Walnut
A very heavy smoke flavour, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Walnut can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.
