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When you consider using a smoker, the number one item you should think, after the current "smoker" selection is the wood chips that you smoke and pair with your food.

Wood, food pairing will make or break your end result and really separates the men from the boys, so to speak, in the world barbecue smoker. It is important to keep an eye on the different sources of wood and if you can get from a local source or if you have to order it online. Basically, youcan use any type of wood for your BBQ, except for pine.

Here a gradient of some of the most popular choices:

Alder is very delicate with a hint of sweetness and is very good with fish, pork, poultry and game birds light meat. Traditionally it is used in the Pacific Northwest to smoke salmon.

Apple is slightly sweet with a denser, fruity smoke that is particularly good with ham, but also works well with beef, poultry or game birds.

Cherry is good with all meatsand gives a fruity, slightly sweet smoke flavor.

Cedar planks are terrible for those who want to use the techniques of traditional Pacific Northwest Indian smoking for their salmon.

The vines are quite similar to fruit woods, aromatic and great with most meats

Hickory, a favorite of all time with its spicy, smoked bacon flavor as is the wood most commonly used for smoking pork and ribs.

Maple is good with pork, poultry, cheese, vegetables and small game birds withslightly smoky, slightly sweet flavor.

Mesquite has that strong earthy flavor that all smokers recognize and is especially good with beef and most vegetables.

Mulberry reminds most people of the sweet smell of apples and is great with ham, but also with beef, poultry and game birds

Oak is very well with red meats, pork, fish and game with its heavy and heavy smoke flavor, one of the most popular wood to smoke with.

Peach is good with most meats with its slightlywoody sweetness

Pecan, while similar to hickory is not as strong. What is cool about pecans is that you can smoke with the shells of pecans too. Pecans are good for nearly all of smoking needs

Pear is great for pork, poultry and game birds with its sweet, woody flavor.

Plum is milder and sweeter than hickory and is a good choice for almost all meat.

Walnut produces a flavor very heavy smoke and is best used in combination with lighter woods like apple or pecan.Used alone it can give food a bitter taste. Try this with game and red meats.

This is standard procedure on your choice of wood when you learn how to use your smoker. Search around and see what you can find in your local supermarket or grill out. If you are a purist and you have forests or orchards nearby, take your faithful hatchet with you and harvest some of your very own wood smoker.

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