So THAT'S what happened! Ach, they're almost inedible now, like those old wax candies filled with syrup...except instead of syrup it is pepper oil.
I remember when they tasted like meat.
They used to be crunchy with just the RIGHT amount of fattiness in the texture. When they started using addiditives it was like tasting a chemical stick.
p.s. If you go to an East European deli and asked for dried Kabanosi, you will get an idea of what the old Slim Jims were like.