Liquid smoke

Liquid smoke is made by condensing real wood smoke into water, then filtering it — a different thing from the smoked meats it imitates.

• Not the same as smoked meat — the high rating on smoked meats comes mostly from curing and aging, not the smoke alone; liquid smoke skips the meat, the curing, and the time

• Still a flagged flavor family — smoke compounds are on several sensitivity lists, and some people report reacting to smoked flavors generally, so it isn't a free pass

Used by the drop in a sauce it's a small variable, but skip it if smoked flavors are a known trigger for you.