What Does It Taste Like? Guides to Every Exotic Jerky We Carry
Honest guides to what gator, bison, elk, venison, wild boar and kangaroo jerky taste like, including what each is not like, plus a side-by-side comparison of every protein we carry.
What does it taste like?
- What Does Alligator Jerky Taste Like? — Mild, lean and a little sweet. Gator tail is white meat, so the jerky lands closer to a firm chicken or lean pork than to anything from the water. Smoked with brown and maple sugar, there is no fishy or swampy note at all.
- What Does Bison Jerky Taste Like? — Like very good beef with the fat turned down and the flavor turned up. Bison is a little sweeter and a little richer than beef, with a deeper red color. In the Trophy Series bag the brown sugar, honey and cracked black pepper give it a mild-to-peppered finish.
- What Does Elk Jerky Taste Like? — Lean and dense with a clean, slightly sweet finish. Elk sits between beef and venison: more character than beef, far less gaminess than deer. The brown sugar, honey and cracked pepper cure gives it a mild-to-peppered heat.
- What Does Venison Jerky Taste Like? — Lean, a little tangy, with a hint of black pepper. Made from venison prime steak and smoked with a bit of brown sugar, this one has far less of the gamey, irony note people associate with deer. In the owner's words: no wild taste.
- What Does Wild Boar Jerky Taste Like? — Like pork with the volume turned up. Wild boar is darker and more flavorful than farm pork, and the Trophy Series cure of bourbon, brown sugar and maple syrup gives it a sweet, smoky finish with a little barrel warmth.
- What Does Kangaroo Jerky Taste Like? — Dark, dense and very lean, with a clean and slightly sweet finish from the brown sugar and honey cure. Kangaroo is one of the leanest red meats there is, and the jerky tastes like exactly that: very good, very lean jerky.
Buying, heat and storage
- How Hot Is Carolina Reaper Jerky? — Carolina Reaper jerky is the hottest bag we sell. What the Reaper is, how it compares to ghost pepper and habanero jerky, what the first bite does, and who should order it.
- Ghost Pepper vs Carolina Reaper Jerky — Ghost pepper jerky versus Carolina Reaper jerky: the heat difference, how each tastes, and which of our four hot bags to pick, from the Settlers Ghost Pepper to the Chernobyl.
- What Is Brisket Jerky? — Brisket jerky is sliced from the beef brisket instead of the lean round most jerky uses. What that changes in flavor and chew, and the four Settlers brisket flavors Jerky Hut NY carries.
- Is Beef Jerky Gluten-Free? — Most beef jerky is not gluten-free because the soy sauce in the marinade is brewed with wheat. Which Jerky Hut NY bags are labeled gluten-free, which list wheat, and how to read a jerky label.
- How to Store Jerky — How to store beef and exotic jerky: sealed bags are shelf-stable, opened bags should be eaten soon or refrigerated, and heat and sun are the enemies. What the labels say and what we do at the table.
- Jerky for Fishing, Hunting and Camping Trips — How much jerky to pack for a fishing trip, deer camp or a weekend in the Adirondacks, which bags travel best without a cooler, and why the 3 oz exotics belong in the pack.
- Big Bag vs Snack Bag Jerky: The Price Per Ounce — Jerky priced per ounce: a $25 7 or 8 oz bag works out to $3.13 to $3.57 an ounce, against snack-aisle pouches that commonly run $5 to $9. The math on bags, bundles and shipping.
- How Much Jerky for a Party or Tailgate — How many bags of jerky to buy for a tailgate, party or game day: a 1 oz serving per person as one of several snacks, 2 oz if jerky is the main event, and a flavor mix that keeps everyone eating.
- Where to Buy Exotic Jerky in New York — Where to buy alligator, kangaroo, elk, bison and venison jerky in New York: online from Jerky Hut NY in Albany with USPS shipping, or in person at fairs, rallies and sportsman shows across the Northeast.
<a href="/guides/jerky-protein-comparison">Every jerky protein we carry, side by side</a>