If, like the majority of Americans, you love cooking out in the summer, you're going to have a lot of people at your , whose mouths will be watering for that great food that you are grilling or barbecuing. If you make your meals outdoors frequently, you probably like to use a variety of meats, so as not to get into a rut. Another way to add diversity to the fare is by experimenting with the many different types of woods that can give any kind of meat a great, smoky flavor.Smoke has always been used to preserve and enhance the flavors of meats. The most popular way of making great smoke is through the use of barbecue wood chips. Hickory is probably the most familiar of them all, since it's used for most of the brands of bacon that you find in the grocery stores. However, there are many other chips made from all different kinds of woods, and each one creates its own, distinct flavor. Each is also particularly suited to different types of meat.For example, hickory, which is generally considered the leader of the smoking woods, smokes intensely, for long periods, and penetrates deep into the meat, giving it a nice, pink hue, and a savory, smoky flavor. Hickory is great for smoking pork, red meat, poultry, and game.Mesquite, another favorite, is a southwestern wood with a bold, rich, earthy flavor. One of the hottest burning of all of the smoking woods, it's great to use with beef, chicken, fish, pork, and lamb, and is ideal for making jerky.Oak is also a well-known and widely used wood, which, like hickory, smokes long and hard; but its flavor is not as strong. Considered one of the most versatile of all of the smoking woods, oak can be soaked in anything from wine to whiskey, to create various flavors on all kinds of meat.These are but a few of the many types of woods that can be used for a succulent barbecue. When it comes to the woods used for the picnic tables at which those meals will be eaten, however, nobody knows them better than the experts at AllPicnicTables.com.AllPicnicTables.com has an unparalleled selection of tables, masterfully crafted from cedar, pine, oak, teak, and cherry, in all sizes and shapes, including rectangular, round, hexagonal, and octagonal, with benches attached or detached. Besides these decay-resistant wood tables, you'll also find virtually indestructible tables, benches, and chairs, constructed from thermo-plastic coated steel, polywood, vinyl, and aluminum, which are available in a huge range of colors. No matter what size, space, or budget you have, you'll find the perfect table at AllPicnicTables.com.To see the entire collection, visit . To contact a design consultant or customer service representative, call 1-888-293-2339, or e-mail .