Dehydrated Vegetables

Image by Julian BurgessI've been thinking about smoked food lately. This might be because I have several pounds of beef back ribs in my freezer. I was wondering what sort of wood to use to smoke them with... when I asked myself, why does it have to be wood?

Wood certainly isn't the only thing that burns and gives off smoke. Right? Some things will burn and give off nasty smoke, but I'm sure that there are some sorts of non-woodsmoke out there that would result in perfectly tasty food.

What about woody herbs like rosemary? What about spices? Cinnamon sticks, cracked nutmeg, and whole seeds (cumin? mustard?) seem like possibilities. What about dried fruits or vegetables? Nuts? Dried flowers? Tea? Herbal teas?

I don't know what the results would be, but I am curious.

Is this a technique that is used?