Easy blend
Oak + apple
Two parts oak to one part apple gives depth without losing the gentle fruit note. A dependable blend for pork, poultry and beef.
The shortcut to better smoke
Ten smoking woods, six food groups and one simple rule: start gentler than you think. Use the table, then fine-tune your match.
Personal wood matcher
Pick the food and the setup. We’ll suggest the flavour and the right grade of wood.
A flavour-first match
delicate fish that needs clean, gentle smoke
Your best match
light · delicate · subtly sweet
For 500g salmon: start with 2 tbsp · 25–35 minutes of smoke
Alder is the traditional salmon wood: light, clean and subtly sweet, so the fish stays centre stage.
The keep-forever reference
Read down by wood or across by food. “Go light” means use less wood or blend it with something gentle—not that the pairing is off limits.
| Wood & character | Fish & seafood | Poultry | Pork | Beef, lamb & game | Cheese | Vegetables |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlderDelicate · clean · subtly sweet2/5 | Brilliant | Good | Go light | Skip | Good | Good |
| BeechClean · even · traditional2/5 | Brilliant | Good | Good | Good | Brilliant | Good |
| AppleFruity · mellow · forgiving2/5 | Good | Brilliant | Brilliant | Go light | Good | Brilliant |
| CherryFruity · sweet · rosy colour2/5 | Good | Brilliant | Brilliant | Go light | Good | Good |
| MapleGentle · rounded · lightly sweet2/5 | Good | Brilliant | Brilliant | Go light | Brilliant | Brilliant |
| OakRobust · classic · versatile3/5 | Go light | Good | Good | Brilliant | Brilliant | Good |
| ChestnutNutty · rounded · distinctive3/5 | Go light | Good | Brilliant | Good | Good | Brilliant |
| Bourbon oakRich · deep · vanilla note4/5 | Go light | Go light | Good | Brilliant | Brilliant | Go light |
| HickoryStrong · bacon-forward · punchy4/5 | Skip | Good | Brilliant | Brilliant | Go light | Go light |
| MesquiteIntense · earthy · fast5/5 | Skip | Go light | Go light | Brilliant | Skip | Go light |
Easy blend
Two parts oak to one part apple gives depth without losing the gentle fruit note. A dependable blend for pork, poultry and beef.
Cleaner flavour
Dense white smoke can turn food acrid. Let the fire settle and aim for a light, steady stream before adding more wood.
Use the right wood
Use clean wood sold for food smoking. Never burn painted, treated or unknown timber, and avoid resinous softwoods.
Three setups · three fuel grades
Choose your flavour from the table, then buy the grade made for the way you’re smoking.
Read the wood-chip guideHot smoking cooks and flavours together. Keep the smoke thin, then check the centre is safely cooked.
A lidded BBQ becomes a smoker. Add a small handful over the heat and cook the food indirectly.
Cold smoke adds flavour but does not cook. Use a tested cure and method for fish or meat.
Smoke is flavour—not a shortcut on safety
Keep raw and ready-to-eat food separate, follow your equipment instructions and use a clean food thermometer when appropriate.
Keep learning
Beginner’s guideStart home smoking
Flavour guideMeet every smoking wood
60-second finderChoose the right smokerPairings are flavour guidance. Taste varies by food, equipment, airflow and smoke time.
Reviewed 12 September 2026 · Down The Cove, Cornwall
Get the wood
Browse our smoking wood chips in fine, coarse and dust grades, or read our wood-by-wood guides to apple, oak, cherry, hickory, beech, maple, alder and mesquite, and the best wood for smoking fish.
Smoke table FAQs
Pairing is personal, but these are the dependable starting points we return to.
Oak is the most versatile medium-strength choice for red meat, pork, poultry and cheese. For delicate fish or a first attempt, apple is a gentler alternative.
Alder and beech are classic clean, gentle choices. Apple and cherry also work well when you want a light fruit note, especially with salmon.
Apple, cherry and maple flatter pork with mellow sweetness. Hickory gives ribs and pulled pork a much stronger, classic barbecue flavour.
Yes. A dependable starting blend is two parts oak to one part apple. The oak adds depth while apple keeps the finish mild and slightly fruity.
Fine chips suit a hot smoker, coarse chips suit a lidded barbecue or grill, and fine wood dust is made for a cold-smoke generator. Follow the instructions for your equipment.