Food24
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Easter Recipes
    • Air fryer recipes
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Fish and Tips
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Cooking guides and tips
    • Pantry staples
    • Load shedding lifesavers
    • Baking tips and tricks
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Kitchen design and appliances
    • Drinks
      • Non-alcoholic drinks
      • Wine
      • Beer
      • Cocktails
      • Coffee
    • Win
No Result
View All Result
Food24
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Easter Recipes
    • Air fryer recipes
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Fish and Tips
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Cooking guides and tips
    • Pantry staples
    • Load shedding lifesavers
    • Baking tips and tricks
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Kitchen design and appliances
    • Drinks
      • Non-alcoholic drinks
      • Wine
      • Beer
      • Cocktails
      • Coffee
    • Win
No Result
View All Result
Food24
No Result
View All Result

It’s braai time: what type of wood to use?

Food24
Food24 by Food24
February 22, 2019
in Cooking Guides and Tips, Features
0
It’s braai time: what type of wood to use?
1
SHARES
24.7k
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp

You might be the type of person who doesn’t give a second thought to the kind of wood with which you’ll be baaing. In fact, it’s likely you might not even be using wood at all. But for those purists who believe that a braai just isn’t a braai without wood, then this is for you!

ALSO READ: Are you one of these 6 characters found at a braai?

If you think of the concept of cooking with good ingredients from the start – the same can be applied to braaing; if you start with decent wood, your braai fire will thank you.

There are loads of factors that go into choosing the right type of wood and one can get super scientific from exploring wood density to the size of the wood, but to keep it relatively simple and straight-forward, we’ve gathered a few tips that should get you off to a good start!

1. Always make sure that the wood you braai with is dry

Dry wood will make your life a lot easier and you’ll be able to get a fire going in less time. Plus, you’ll have less smoke to deal with. Winning!

2. Stay away from indigenous wood if you can – suggests Jan Braai

SA’s king of braai likes to use Rooikrans  and Blackwattle, which actually use up a lot of groundwater. Good to know!

3. Think about what you’re going to cook on the braai

Is it a pork chop? Or a slow-cooked potjie? Here is where wood density comes in because some pieces of wood burn faster than others. For pork or steak, you’ll want a wood that burns faster.

braai

Types of wood to look out for: 

Rooikrans 

– It’s an alien invader (enough said)

– A popular choice of wood in the Western Cape but can be found at a corner petrol station just about anywhere in SA.

Kameeldoring

– Has a low moisture content – it doesn’t create a lot of smoke – it produces slow-burning coals

Applewood

– Has a slightly sweet aroma that gently infuses into the food

Mopani

– This wood is termite resistant (just saying).

Pine 

– Good for a quick start to get things going but it doesn’t last very long.

TIP: Never let the braai fire go out, say our friends Greg and Karl from Beer Country who have just released a cookbook titled, Beer, Food, Fire. They also suggest that you make two fires (if you’re feeling brave). One for cooking and one for “kakpraat”.

ALSO READ: Chicken on the braai 101 – the all-you-need cheat sheet

Tags: braaiBraai TipsFeaturesWood


Related Posts

modern-food-labels-explained
Conscious cooking

Exploring the new lexicon around dietary food choices

March 27, 2023
French vs Swiss vs Italian meringue: A quick guide to marshmallowy goodness
Baking tips and tricks

French vs Swiss vs Italian meringue: A quick guide to marshmallowy goodness

March 23, 2023
misomite
Features

Discovering the world of locally made miso with master fermenter James Kuiper

March 23, 2023
Next Post
PARTNER CONTENT: How this global fast food brand is championing local flavours

PARTNER CONTENT: How this global fast food brand is championing local flavours

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Food24 Team Loves

misomite

Discovering the world of locally made miso with master fermenter James Kuiper

March 23, 2023
Chefs share 8 trade-secrets to making a fantastic milk tart at home

Chefs share 8 trade-secrets to making a fantastic milk tart at home

February 20, 2023
The 4-ingredient dough recipe that changed my life

The 4-ingredient dough recipe that changed my life

February 13, 2023
We predict 2023’s biggest food trends for home cooks

We predict 2023’s biggest food trends for home cooks

February 1, 2023
The Food24 team shares their 2023 kitchen goals

The Food24 team shares their 2023 kitchen goals

February 1, 2023

Recent favourites

  • olives in a bowl

    Quick and speedy pantry hacks: 5 clever things to do with store-bought olives

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 15 perfect potato side dishes that will upgrade any meal

    32 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • From vetkoek to fynvleis: The new 100+ Flavours report is a deep-dive into SA food culture

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The impact that load shedding has on your household’s grocery basket

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • French vs Swiss vs Italian meringue: A quick guide to marshmallowy goodness

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get weekly access to our best recipes, tips and tricks

Sign Up
Footer

Quick links

  • Home
  • News
  • Videos
  • Win

Collections

  • New Recipes
  • Festive
  • Baking
  • Dessert Recipes
  • Braai Recipes
  • Lunchbox
  • South African Recipes
  • Pasta Recipes

Other links

  • Advertise with Food24
  • Editorial Policy
  • How to Pitch
  • Contact us

Not in the mood to cook?

Visit eatout.co.za to find the perfect restaurant near you.

eatout.co.za

© 2020 Food24.com. All rights reserved.

  • About us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • New Media
IAB
No Result
View All Result
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Easter Recipes
    • Air fryer recipes
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Fish and Tips
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Cooking guides and tips
    • Pantry staples
    • Load shedding lifesavers
    • Baking tips and tricks
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Kitchen design and appliances
    • Drinks
      • Non-alcoholic drinks
      • Wine
      • Beer
      • Cocktails
      • Coffee
    • Win

© 2019 Food24.com. All rights reserved.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Fill the forms below to register

Subscribe to Newsletter

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Close
Food24
Recipe Disclaimer

All recipe content is the responsibility of the party from whom such content originated. You agree that you use the content on Food24 at your own risk. Please read our editorial policy.
Close
Food24
Get the latest recipes delivered to your inbox weekly
Promotional Newsletter

Be the first to receive information about competitions and special offers from Food24 and it's partners.

You have successfully been subscribed!
Something went wrong. Please try again.
Make sure you have completed all required fields.
I don't want to see this again