If you've ever been warmed by a turf fire, while sharing stories and good cheer with family and friends, you'll remember the distinctive scent of burning Irish peat.

Now you can share a Genuine Irish experience at your home. The next time you get together with family and friends, especially at Christmas and St. Patrick's Day, make it extra memorable with the scent of Ireland.

The boglands in Ireland consist of many layers of leaves, herbs, and roots, which turn into peat over thousands of years. Peat is locally known as "turf" and they've been "cutting turf" from the bog for centuries. It's cut with a special spade called a "slean" then spread out on the surface of the bog to dry in the sun. Later, the turf logs or sods are "footed", this means that it is stood on its end to dry further. Once dry, it is often stacked in large piles similar to hay stacks.

Genuine Irish Turf is harvested in this traditional method, slean cut and sun dried in the bog.

"Move over, mesquite. Peat - traditionally used to heat homes and smoke grains - is now being used to flavour everything from seafood to fall-off-the-bone ham.
These Celtic chips impart a distinctive hint of mossy heather that whisky aficionados will recognize. Adios, mesquite"

enRoute Magazine
June 2009
enroute.aircanada.com/en/articles/for-peat-s-sake

Use peat, also known as turf, in your BBQ or smoker. Peat has a distinctive aroma and gives BBQ foods a unique delicious flavour. Perfect for meat, poultry, fish and vegetables.

For centuries, grains roasted over a peat fire have been used in Scotch making. If you love Scotch with a sweet smoky peat nose, you'll love foods smoked with Genuine Irish Turf!

New to smoking food? It's so easy!
If you've never smoked food on the grill before but, you want to give it a try, just wrap a lump of turf (approx. 2" x 2") in a couple layers of tin foil. Fold it up nice and tight and poke a few holes in the foil so the smoke can be released. Get your BBQ good and hot and place the foil wrapped turf directly on the heat source with the holes facing up. Once it begins smoking you can place your food on the grill. Try to position the turf directly under the food. It should smoke for approx. 30 minutes which will give your food that delicious peat smoked flavour!

An old hand at smoking?
Use the same basic methods as with smoking wood chips and pellets.

Direct on coals or lava rocks:
Soak turf in water for approx. 30 minutes just prior to placing on hot coals.

Smoker box or foil:
Presoaking is not required.

Genuine Irish Turf is an indirect burning incense meaning it's not the kind of incense that is lit and burns on it's own. Those products are typically a mixture of combustibles and chemicals, which make them self-sustaining. Genuine Irish Turf is 100% pure peat, dug from the bog.

There are many indirect incense burners on the market that use charcoal or other fuel sources that will burn the turf, however, the simplest and most accessible turf burner is in your own kitchen next to your teapot!

Simply place a small turf chip on your cold stove element then, turn it on to medium high. Start small with a chip no larger than a ¼" square. The turf will slowly heat up and begin to smoke. Adjust your element so that the turf only smokes, you do not want it to ignite into flames, that would be dangerous and smokeless!

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Safety tips
Since Genuine Irish Turf must be burned to be experienced, you should always be safety conscious. All burning devices, BBQs, smokers, incense burners, fireplaces and stoves, come with manufacturer's safety directions, please read them and follow them carefully.

1. Make certain that no part of burning turf comes into contact with wood or other flammable materials.

2. Never burn turf inside cupboards or with anything hanging above the burning turf. The rising heat from the turf (along with the smoke) can cause discolouration and is potentially a fire hazard. If you want to use turf smoke to scent clothing, hang it at least eighteen inches above the burning turf.

3. Incense burners can heat up, even soapstone burners get hot. Always be careful where you place the burner. A hot burner can damage or discolour wooden surfaces. Never try to move the burner while in use.

4. Never leave burning turf unattended. If you have to leave your premise while your turf is still burning, put it out. If you have to, you can put it out under water. A better method is to bury the burning turf in a sand filled can. That will put it out but still allow you to relight the turf at some future time.

5. Although this seems obvious to say, burning turf is hot. Just grazing the glowing tip of burning turf can cause a significant burn on skin and clothing.

6. Watch burning turf and make certain the ash is dropping where it should. If the ash is falling outside its container you might need to reposition it or use a different burner. It's a very good idea to contain the ash. It can discolor furniture and might even be hot enough to be a fire hazard itself.

7. A little turf goes a long way. Most homes and apartments are adequately ventilated to burn a small piece of turf, however, it is not recommended to burn turf in small enclosed environments, as that may cause dangerous levels of carbon monoxide to collect.
Turf is organic and non-toxic. If used with care, turf is quite safe and amazingly pleasant.