Huh? In South Korea, they’re eating neon-green toothpicks as a snack
We’ve found another trend that’ll make your jaw drop. Apparently, it’s currently hip in South Korea to deep-fry toothpicks and eat them. It’s true, it really is. Quite a few South Korean influencers have already captured their snack moments on camera.
South Korea. There are snacks we’d get on a plane for immediately, but they also got away with eating dog meat for a very long time, and we find that less cool. We also have some serious questions about this toothpick-fries trend (no, not a chip shop). Why on earth would you deep-fry and eat toothpicks? What kind of bizarre thing is this?
@hiharu_22 녹말 이쑤시개 튀김 그런데…대반전? #푸드 #먹방 #레시피 #일상 #디저트 ♬ 오리지널 사운드 – 내하루
Deep-frying or boiling
The toothpicks are made from corn and potato starch. Throw them into the deep fryer and they turn into a kind of Nibb-it crisps… But in neon green. Seriously: shouldn’t that chemical colour immediately be a warning sign that you’d be better off not putting this in your mouth? Not for several South Korean food influencers. They simply pour some cheese sauce and sprinkle some seasoning over them, then put on a fun video.
The toothpicks aren’t only deep-fried; they’re also ‘just boiled’. I don’t know why, but somehow that gives me even more of the creeps. Check out what that looks like in the TikTok below…
@nunueat녹말 이쑤시개 삶아먹고 튀겨먹기? 나는 동결건조한다♬ 오리지널 사운드 – nunueat
Stop eating toothpicks, please
It won’t surprise you, but eating toothpicks isn’t exactly good for your health. That’s why South Korea’s Ministry of Health has issued warnings. ‘Please stop eating toothpicks, because they can make you sick!’ It’s frankly ridiculous that such a warning even needs to be issued. And whether it will have any effect remains to be seen. The toothpick videos are being viewed millions of times. You know how it is: anything for the likes!
Also read:
- These Korean desserts are a must-try
- 10 bizarre flavour combinations that are tastier than you’d think
- The best Korean BBQ restaurants across the Netherlands
Image: TikTok @nunueat and TikTok @hiharu_22
