WOOD FLAVOUR GUIDE
Alder - A delicate flavour with a hint of sweetness. Great for all fish and seafood and also for pork, poultry, light meat game birds and vegetables.
Apple - Slightly sweeter and fruity, apple is more complex and denser than alder. Excellent for fish, beef, poultry and pork
Beech - Beech is a mild to medium wood with a slightly nutty flavour. A good choice for fish and poultry and also pork, ham and sausages.
Cherry - Cherry is milder than the apple fruit wood but it still has a rich and slightly sweet, fruity flavour - try for duck breasts, fish, chicken and vegetables.
Hickory - Hickory has a strong flavour and is probably the most popular smoking wood in the USA - It is a good choice for ribs, pork and oily fish.
Maple - Maple is a mild to medium hardwood. It produces a slightly sweet flavour that is great with trout, cheese, poultry, pork and vegetables.
Mesquite - Mesquite has a very strong, earthy flavour with a hint of spice - good with beef or for oily fish. Use sparingly as if you use too much it can result in a bitter taste.
Oak - Oak is probably the best known wood and the most common wood used for smoking in the UK - best suited for red meat and game
Bourbon Soaked Oak - Oak soaked in whiskey is great for red meats, ribs and especially venison.
Douglas Fir - highly aromatic but also slightly resinous so best used mixed as a blend with other woods such as oak.
For more details on the different flavours please see www.downthecove.com as we provide a full guide to the different flavours