Quirky Jerky Slideshow

Packaged by Butler's Smokehouse and sold in Stephenville, Texas, and at the original Dr Pepper bottling plant in the small town of Dublin (Dr Pepper) nearby. While marinated in Dublin Dr Pepper's Imperial Pure Cane Sugar, the jerky's nowhere near as sweet as you'd think. It's more peppery than anything else.

Seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and horseradish, this jerky by the Green Light Jerky Company is meant to evoke the flavors of "a prime rib dinner."

An energy drink spills on some beef jerky during a ski trip, and two Wharton students, Matt Keiser and Brian Levin, have an idea for the ultimate term paper nourishment or snack for an all-night, cross-country drive: Perky Jerky. Keiser and Levin's beefy energy jolt comes from the 60 milligrams of caffeine per ounce from guarana, a fruit said to contain double the caffeine of a typical cup of coffee.

Jerky doesn't end at beef. Turkey, salmon, venison, ham, rabbit, you name it, someone's made jerky out of it.

Check around Chinatown next time you're there for Chinese beef jerky. In Manhattan's Chinatown, little shops like Malaysia Beef Jerky Inc. and Ling Kee Beef Jerky dry small squares of meat that have been glazed with sauce for a sweet and savory snack.

Teriyaki, lemon pepper, sweet and spicy there are all kinds of flavored jerky out there. When it comes to heat, there's more variation. Five Star makes Spicy, Habanero and Melt Your Face Off levels of heat. Look out.

Italian jerky. This air-dried loin is cut into thin strips and seasoned with sea salt, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and chile flakes. Strips are tied in pairs, which lends the jerky its name, "coppiette," or "little couples."

This South African jerky is set apart from the conventional stuff by its thickness and the fact that it's marinated in vinegar. It's spiced with salt, coriander, pepper, and brown sugar, then typically dried in the cold air or climate-controlled rooms.

If you're looking to get more exotic than a Slim Jim, you can find jerkies made out of alligator, wild boar, and ostrich.

Reminiscent of chewing tobacco, and described by one review site as looking like sawdust. But the same reviewers called it delicious, regardless, "Although the consistency was on par with a carpet that somehow got put through a juicer, the taste really was great."