What is Oak?

A common material for floors and furniture, oak is a hardwood tree.

You will find wine corks made from the bark of cork oak trees, otherwise known as Quercus suber. You will find cork oak originating in the Mediterranean Sea area, with the majority of the world’s supply coming from Algeria, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. To help create the perfect flavor blend in wine, oak barrels are created from both American and European species of oak. The wine is aged in these barrels which contributes to the complexity of the taste.

The Northern Red Oak, or Quercus rubra, is the most highly prized of all the red oak species in all of North America. The White Oak, or Quercus alba, is the lumber industry standard for all wood marketed as white oak. In Europe you will find that that two species of oak are commonly used, the English oak, or Quercus robur, and the Sessile oak, or Quercus petraea.

Oak can be used for things other than cork, floors, and furniture. One example is the bark of the white oak tree which has medicinal properties when dried. Tannin can also be extracted from oak bark and used to tan leather. The oak seed, or acorns, can be used to make flour or roasted to make acorn coffee.