Liquid smoke is considered a real insider tip, especially among BBQ fans in Europe. In America, the strong smoke flavor from a bottle has been popular for some time and is much more widespread. But demand for liquid smoke is slowly growing in Europe as well. For this reason, we would like to draw attention to this trendy product from the USA and answer important questions about liquid smoke. We briefly discuss the history of liquid smoke, take a look at its production, offer useful tips on dosing and storing liquid smoke, and answer the frequently asked question of whether liquid smoke is harmful or not.

First, let's clarify what liquid smoke actually is. Liquid smoke is a bold and aromatic ingredient (not a sauce!) that can be used when cooking, roasting, or grilling to give dishes a smoky, barbecue flavor. Liquid smoke is especially popular with all kinds of meat dishes—but it also goes well with fish, soups, and even cheese.

The country of origin of liquid smoke is the USA. In the 19th century, the American pharmacist Ernest H. Wright came up with the idea of ​​burning hickory wood, allowing the resulting smoke to cool and condense, and then mixing this condensate with water. The result was surprisingly good in terms of taste. With the help of a chemist, the method for producing liquid smoke was further developed and optimized so that harmful substances were largely filtered out. In 1985, the pharmacist Wright filed a patent for the production of liquid smoke, thus giving birth to his product "Wright's Liquid Smoke."

Although there are very few liquid smoke manufacturers worldwide, everyone has certainly consumed a product that contained liquid smoke – usually labeled as “smoke flavoring.”

The industrial use of liquid smoke has long since ceased to be a rarity. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the use of liquid smoke saves the industry costs and time. Ham and meat, for example, no longer have to undergo complex smoking processes. The use of liquid smoke also eliminates the need for a smokehouse, which is required for the smoking process. The products are usually sprayed with liquid smoke, giving them a pleasant smoky aroma.

In addition, certain products are difficult or impossible to smoke. One example is certain types of chips, where the smoky flavor is paramount. Have you ever looked at the ingredients list? It's very likely that you'll see "smoke flavoring" there. But even classic BBQ sauces, which are characterized by a smoky flavor, usually contain smoke flavoring – usually in the form of liquid smoke.

Liquid smoke (in the form of smoke flavoring) is already used in a variety of products and has long since become part of our society, even if we have never consciously noticed it until now.

In an age of artificial additives and flavor enhancers, none of which enjoy a good reputation, it is entirely reasonable to ask whether flavorings are free of harmful substances and harmless to health. To answer this question, let's take a look at "real" smoke, which gives grilled meat its typical smoky flavor. Burning wood and coal produces what are known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The German Environment Agency classifies these as hazardous to health and the environment. From a chemical point of view, smoke is very complex and depends on many factors. For example, the oxygen concentration during smoking, the temperature, and also the wood used all play an important role. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons released during smoking usually end up in the meat or product being smoked or grilled.

During the production of liquid smoke, the smoke produced by burning wood chips or sawdust undergoes a purification process. Harmful substances (such as PAHs) are extracted using multiple filters. The end product, liquid smoke, can therefore be considered far less harmful than "regular smoke." The question of whether liquid smoke is harmful to health can, according to current scientific knowledge, be answered with a resounding "no." In our opinion, one could even go so far as to say that the use of liquid smoke is significantly healthier than "natural" smoke, which, along with its harmful substances, is transferred into the meat.