BOONE, N.C. — There are 482 flavors and 40 brands of jerky inside the Jerky Outpost in Valle Crucis. They have all kinds of jerky, from sweet to hot.

Owner Suzanne Stevens says one popular flavor is called Death by Jerky and it's spicy.

What You Need To Know

  • The Jerky Outpost has hundreds of flavors

  • The owners make their own signature flavors

  • They allow taste testing, which has made it a tourist destination

Stevens and her husband are from Florida. They moved to Valle Crucis 19 years ago. They turned her husband's hobby into a business.

"We saw that it was a great snack of choice. A healthier snack," Stevens said.

They opened the doors to the Jerky Outpost nine years ago and rolled out seven signature flavors.

"Outlaw Heat is crushed red pepper, and that's the warmest we went," Stevens said.

They sell many brands and have them all separated by texture and flavor. The couple draws in tourists with their taste tests because they say this area has history.

The tasty treat has been around for hundreds of years and was a way to travel with food in the days before refrigeration, Stevens said. 

They say this jerky is a taste of North Carolina you can bring home with you.