Wood species used for smoking meat, fish or vegetables that add flavour and taste

Pork, beef or duck specialties, as well as trout or cheese, have a special taste when smoked and are a delight at meals with friends and family. In addition to the added flavor and color, smoke also helps preserve or cook food. But can we use any kind of wood? Does the wood have to be dry or is green also good? How does smoke affect the taste of meat? Is hot or cold smoke better? These and other questions I will answer below.

Why and how to smoke food

Smoking food has been used since the Paleolithic Age, practically since fire was discovered, to preserve meat longer. The cold smoke contains certain antimicrobial chemicals, so smoked meat or fish could be used for a long time. Warm smoke also helps to cook meat and fish slowly and, combined with the addition of salt, increases the time they can be eaten safely.

By using smoke for preservation, over time its influence on the taste of the food was also discovered. Not all species give the same taste, some are more suitable for pork, others for poultry or fish, and others give an unmistakable taste to vegetables. The smoking time, the intensity of the smoke and its temperature all influence the final taste. So smoking food has slowly moved from preservation to the art of cooking.

In our country, smoking sausages, meat, pastrami or slana is part of tradition. In the attic or in specially built smokehouses, peasants used the smoke to preserve the meat of the slaughtered animal for as long as possible. They used hot or cold smoke (up to 40°C) to prevent the fat from melting, ensuring distance between the source of the fire that produced the smoke and the place where the meat was hung. Gradually, smokehouses have evolved and now the smoke from the pipes is passed through cooling zones before reaching the meat. The meat is hung in such a way that the pieces do not touch each other so that the smoke gets everywhere.

The smoke can taste very good, but overdoing it can make the meat bitter and unpleasant to the taste. It should therefore be left for a limited time depending on how intense you want the flavor to be. This time is usually determined by trial and experience gained over time. It is also experience that determines which species is most suitable, whether to use a single species or a mixture, the size of the wood or its moisture content.

Smoking for taste is now mostly done in covered grills which allow much better control of all the factors involved. They use wood chips placed further away from the fire to avoid burning. In general, dry chips are used to start the fire first, then wet chips are added to make it burn slower and release smoke. The chips are placed in a special metal can or perforated aluminum foil. The temperature is set at 30-35°C for cold smoking or between 70 and 90°C for combined smoking and cooking. The whole process can take several hours.

Wood species suitable for smoking

As smoking has become an art, different species of wood have been tested over the years to find out which type of smoke is best for meat, fish or vegetables. They use hardwood, not resinous which gives a bitter taste to meat or fish. The smell and taste of smoke can be light, medium or strong, fruity or woody, harsh or smooth. It can enrich the taste with a unique flavor or come with a burst of flavors.

It's true that we are each to our own taste, but we arrive at the desired taste more quickly if we start from information that has been checked beforehand. That's why it's good to know that trout, seafood, white meat, fruit and vegetables go well with the taste of your food.light, fine smoke beech, alder, pear, pear, apple or plum. Poultry, pork, fish, cheese and vegetables get a great taste if you use medium smoke from the wood of apple, apricot, cherry, cherry and maple. Smoked chilli peppers with maple make a popular smoked paprika. Beef, mutton, lamb, game and fatty fish (salmon, mackerel) need strong smoke oak, chestnut or juniper. Wood smoke also fits in very well oak barrels where Cabernet wine or whisky has aged.

Below are some examples of the species and how smoked foods taste:

• arin - mild flavor suitable for fish and poultry;
• apple - mild and sweet flavor. For poultry, pork, lamb, seafood. Applewood-smoked poultry skin turns brown;
• peach, peach, hairs - sweet and mild taste suitable for pork, poultry, fish;
• cherry - Mild sweet-sour-sour flavor suitable for any kind of meat. The most commonly used wood for smoking. Beware of bitter cherry, whose flavor is much stronger, so the time should be short and the wood in small quantities;
• fag - strong and rich flavor. One of the species commonly used for smoking pork, poultry, game;
• frasin - Sweet, unique flavor. Pork and poultry;
• maple - fruity flavor similar to fruit trees. Poultry, pork sausages, fish, vegetables;
• dud - very sweet apple-like flavor. Poultry, pork, fish and seafood;
• oak - strong, very rich flavor. Beef, mutton, lamb;
• plum - fruity, sweet, very pleasant flavor. Poultry, pork;
• nuc - Very strong and rich flavor with a risk of becoming bitter and astringent. Use in a mixture with other species. Beef, mutton
• fig tree - Sweet and floral flavor with hints of cinnamon. Pork, poultry, fish and seafood, cheese, vegetables. Does not go with lamb or beef. WARNING, the wood must be very well oiled to avoid latex, a toxic product. Find out more about fig wood here
• vine - acidic, fruity smoke that can become heavy. Use sparingly with beef or lamb.

Resin woods are not recommended for smoking (because of the resins and gums they contain), elm wood and that of birch.

Tips for quality smoking

Choose the right wood for the meat you want to smoke. The principle is for the flavors to complement, not cover. Start with smaller amounts of wood and reduced time. Extra flavor can be added by extending the time, but cannot be taken out if a lot of smoke has been used for a long time.

Mix several species for the richest taste. Mix only the right species for the type of meat being cooked. Start with small amounts and juggle the percentages.

Don't use a lot of wood and make sure the smoke is not excessive. As pleasant as the flavor is, too much can spoil the taste of the meat.

Use good quality wood. If you use sawdust, keep it in a dry place where air can circulate to prevent mold. Do not use moldy or caked (lumpy) sawdust. The sawdust must not come from mechanical processing where there is a risk of contact with oils. Do not use sawdust. The chain may transmit oil to the wood. Wood must be free of nails, glue, varnish or stains. Do not use diseased, fungus or insect infested wood.

Use wood chips specially prepared for smoking. They are commercially available, are of good quality and you will be sure of a successful operation. If you don't use all the wood, reseal the bag to avoid mold.

Put the wood directly on the fire if you want a quick smoke. In this case the exposure time should be short.

For long smoking, place the chips next to the fire and after lighting, use wet chips (moistened with water) so that the smoke emission is long-lasting.

I hope you find the information interesting. If you have smoked meat, fish or vegetables using other species of wood, please write about your experience below in the space provided. We will supplement the article with this information and the result will be a comprehensive and useful resource for everyone.