All about barbecuing > Little Wood, Big Flavour

Wood from fruit trees is best: it imparts unbeatable flavour to the food. Otherwise, use branches from leafy trees - hornbeam, oak, beech, etc.

If you prepare a fire with charcoal, at the end of the cooking time throw on some vine stocks or branches, large dry bramble twigs, pinecones or even a handful of dried herbs.

Skewers
Many people use small tree branches as skewers or brochettes - certain kinds of wood lend flavour to the food. For example…

• juniper in North American aboriginal cooking
• bamboo twigs in Japan
• vine stocks in France
• bay branches in Madeira, etc.

Iranians prefer flat skewers instead of round ones, which help to keep the meat flat on the grill for quicker and more even cooking.