why do we use mesquite, oak, apple, pecan hickory etc to cook with, i assume its flavor, in say a survival situation can ypu use anywood to cook with ? is there any danger picking the wrong wood

i believe as long as there is no mold you are gonna be fine with anything. In a regular situation yes, it is for flavor/what is available

Woods mentioned are for flavor. (hardwoods)
You CAN cook on anything that will make a fire.

Avoid woods like pine, bodark and cedar and soft pithy woods like cottonwood

Railroad ties make your food taste really funny.

NEVER BURN creasote!!!!! Unless you want to get sick.

Hummm, I'll have to try that, I could use a good laugh!

I have a list of wood NOT to use... at home.

Wood like Ceder and I believe Pine have lots of oil (i think) that make a bad flavor on your food.

DO NOT USE wood that has been treated or glued togethr like plywood.

On the list of good things "corn cobs" never tryed that!

Your oak wood (Post Oak best) is the base for your fire because it is a sound hard wood and will burn for nearly ever! Your flavor woods (Pecan, Hickory, Mesquite, Grape, Apple, Pear etc...) are added to make your food taste good. I usually cook with a mixture of post oak and pecan.

Would stay away from Pine. Cedar is good to cook with... You'll see people using cedar planks to cook fish on. I've never used cedar in competition BBQ.

I use pecan because I live in a native pecan pasture that was split up into lots. I took a float trip on the White river in Arkansas. They used cedar shingles for grilling steaks. The steaks were fine. I burned some old landscape timbers in my fireplace, with no problems.

The cedar was burned down to coals, and my fireplace draws really well.

so you guys saying you can cook on cedar, really ? like the cedar in the hill country ?

We have used cedar knots (roots) for years in Terrell county. Burned down to coals they are an awesome grilling wood. Don't know about smoking with it though

Gets rid of the bugs!

The Cedar for planks is from a Cedar tree. I think the Cedar we have in the hill country is a juniper.

Do not use green cherry or the cherry pits. It needs to be aged and dry. The pits emit a toxin, do not use them.

Nothing is wrong. Except green mesquite. Don't go there. I personally use only pecan for smoking.

Green mesquite and cedar are not woods to cook with. Dried cedar planks are fine to cook ON. Cedar is OK for firewood.

There is some bbq joint that swears by green mesquite somewhere, although I cant think if it, saw it on Tripple D.

I have and like to use mesquite, post oak and live oak, pecan and elm in that order.

Rule #1 in fire wood is ......Never cut your fire wood bigger than your wife and kids can carry.

After that its easy

I got plenty of pecan wood if someone wants some . Pm me