Have you ever been to a local burger restaurant that has the most delicious smoked mayonnaise? Or have you tried to make smoked food and realised that it is actually a lot of effort? I never thought that I would be able to make delicious smoked food, and it has nearly always been my choice of flavours when we are able to eat out.
And then, I discovered Smoked Flavours. Made from 100% wood chips, Smoked Flavours is an easy healthier way to get a traditional smoky flavour into any meal. It is ideal for meat, marinades, sauces, basting, cheeses, dips. Their products instantly adds smoke flavour to almost any food that would benefit from real smoke flavour and aroma. Dash or brush on any meat, poultry, or vegetable – since it is very concentrated, use sparingly as a few drops will be sufficient. These are made from smoldering damp wood chips to generate as much smoke as possible. This smoke is then funnelled into a condenser where it is cooled and so results in the formation of condensation. This condensation is collected, filtered and purified. The end product is highly concentrated liquid smoke which has the same flavour of the wood type used, you are then able to achieve the same taste that would be generated by traditional smoking processes. Hickory & Mixed Hardwood are vegan & vegetarian friendly.
Your name: Theunis Kruger
Business name: Smoked Flavours Pty Ltd
Social media handles: Facebook, Instagram and Website
How did this business start: My interest in liquid smoke started in late 2012 when I found a recipe online for Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken) where one of the key ingredients was liquid smoke. I searched high and low for it in South Africa but came up empty handed, this was when I searched for international manufacturers. Once I finally received my first bottle and was able to complete the Chicken Makhani I was hooked.
Soon I was trying it on steaks, beef burgers, chicken breasts and even pasta sauces. Liquid smoke’s versatility got me thinking and I realised that there was a gap in the market, this is when I started researching it in earnest.
It contains no PAHs (potentially carcinogenic components) and adds no calories or fat. It works wonders in curries, vegetarian dishes, sauces, cheese, dips, and marinades or even directly on meat or fish – giving indoor cooking the flavour of outdoor cooking. Plus it’s kosher and halaal. Some flavours are also suitable for vegans.
The manufacture of liquid smoke is quite complex and goes through a few stages before it becomes the great tasting product we know. It is 100% natural wood flavour and there are no artificial flavours.
Damp wood chips from your selected wood type are heated to smouldering point in a large retort, this generates more smoke than actually setting the wood alight. This smoke is funnelled into a compression chamber where this rapidly cools the smoke, causing condensation. This condensation is filtered purified and aged for anything from a few months to a year.
We have different variants; Mesquite, Apple, Cherry, Hickory, Mixed Hardwood and European Beech. Hickory is the most popular wood used for smoking and so is the one most people are familiar with. It works well with meat and sauces/marinades for pork, chicken & beef. Mixed hardwood is a combination of hickory and oak, both are hard woods so this works on the same items as the Hickory. Finally the European Beech is a softer wood and so is therefore a good all-round smoke that can be used on meat, sauces, marinades as well as seafood, fish and cheeses & dips.
The possibilities of what can be achieved with liquid smoke are endless, if you have an imagination you will be able to create some spectacular meals.
The European Beech in particular enables you to get a smoky flavour into things that you would never associate being enhanced by the flavour of smoke. Last year a catering customer of ours made a Smoked Cardamom Ice-cream! There is also a rage in the US where liquid smoke is being used in cocktails.
Which is your personal favourite product: Extremely difficult to say; I use every product myself! The smoked salt and olive oil we use on a daily basis as it provides a more complex flavour and different notes to any dish. Cherry is a favourite on nachos, Hickory and Mixed Hardwood on meats, Beech on everything and I like using the Apple to give a more pronounced smoky note to gammon, especially when prepared in the oven or a pressure cooker. Pulled pork is transformed with Beech added to it!
What have been your most popular products: Hickory and Mixed Hardwood are certainly the better sellers as most people are familiar with Hickory smoked meat products. European Beech is the most versatile of the flavours, which makes it very popular for retail and commercial applications, especially for burger sauces and vegan protein options.
Tell me a bit more about these product flavours: Liquid smoke in not readily available in South Africa and smoked food is becoming increasingly popular. Liquid smoke enables you easily add a smoky flavour to any meal by adding it during the cooking process or even to prepared meals.
It is made from real wood chips and contains no artificial flavourings or colourants. The same taste you get from a traditional smoker, is the same taste you get from our liquid smoke.
Hickory – most familiar smoke flavour, used on bacon, ribs & chicken breasts. Best results when used with “heavier” meats like beef & pork. Ideal for marinade, basting, potjie, soup or pasta sauce.
Mesquite – Best results when used with “heavier” meats like beef & game. Ideal for marinade, basting or potjie
Hickory & Oak – Common woods used for smoking, good with red meat, pork & game. To be used in marinade, basting sauce, pasta sauce or biltong recipe.
Beech – Very versatile and mild liquid smoke and so the liquid smoke works well when used to flavour fish, mayo, dips, butter or cream cheeses with no bitter aftertaste. Made with hardwood chips.
Applewood – Probably the most used fruit smoke wood, the flavour is milder and sweeter than Hickory. Ideal for poultry, beef, pork (especially ham), game birds, lamb and some seafood. A mild with a subtle sweet, fruity flavour.
Cherrywood – Slightly sweet fruity smoke that’s great with just about everything. It is a very dark liquid smoke so will impart a deep, golden-brown finish to the meal. A sweet mild, fruity flavour.
Where can people purchase these from: We have a list of distributors (expanding all the time) across South Africa, with further expansion planned for Namibia and Botswana. We have our products available through our online shop as well; we ship to your door for a nominal fee. www.smokedflavours.co.za/shop or www.smokedflavours.co.za/stockists
Do you have any recommended recipes to try these out: My personal favourite and biggest crowd pleaser is Beech smoked mayo; it makes any dip come alive and burgers are no longer made in our house without it!! You can download our free recipes here.
What are the different products you have available:
• Liquid Smoke: Apple, Beech, Cherry, Hickory, Hickory & Oak, Mesquite – 125ml
• Smoked Salt: Hickory smoked salt – 100ml & 325ml
• Smoked Olive Oil: Smoked olive oil & Chilli smoked olive oil
• Liquid Smoke: Bulk packaging for commercial applications.
What makes your products so unique: It is immensely versatile and can be used for anything from curries, marinades, sauces, ice-cream, cocktails, chillies, olives, cheeses, meats, tofu… You see what I mean?!
Who do you think would enjoy these: Anyone with a love for food and an adventurous taste palate, as well as vegetarians and vegans. Our products are sourced from reputable production facilities in the US and Europe with Kosher and Halaal certification from the manufacturers. We are in the process of obtaining local Halaal certification from SANHA as well.
Quote you live by: Cooking is an act of love.
We are going to be launching a competition this week, so make sure you keep an eye out on our social media! No house should be without these products, and I can definitely recommend the Smoked Olive Oil and Smoked Salt for everyone – we can’t imagine making meals without them now and have definitely experimented in every possible way with seeing just how far we can push our tastebuds and what does really work for us. So far we have loved it all.
Thank you Theunis for this great product. I can’t wait to see more recipes and experiments with everything available, and to see these more readily available in restaurants and friends’ kitchens.
