Hickory Nuts for BBQ? Expert Says No—Use the Wood

Forestry expert Dr. Kim Coder settles the debate: hickory nuts lack the compounds that give hickory smoke its signature flavor. Those chemicals reside in the heartwood. Nuts burn poorly, producing sooty, rancid smoke—especially if old.

Stick with hickory wood (or pecan wood, a hickory relative) for authentic BBQ. Save the nuts for eating or wildlife.