TikTok Trend: People Are Eating Deep-Fried Toothpicks
It's amazing how much of the news sounds like satire now: The newest TikTok food trend is . . . deep-fried TOOTHPICKS. And no, it's not just a silly name. People are actually cooking toothpicks and eating them. (???)
It's mainly a thing in South Korea. Health officials there just had to put out a statement telling people to stop doing it. Quote, "This is not a product to eat. Their safety has not been verified."
This one key detail is really important though: The toothpicks they're eating are NOT made of wood. Most toothpicks in South Korea are made using a mix of corn and potato starch. So that's why they're somewhat edible.
People are deep-frying them in oil and posting the footage on TikTok. They puff up and kind of look like shoestring fries, but they're green. Then you toss some seasoning or powdered cheese on top. People say they have a similar consistency to rice cakes.
Just to be totally clear one more time, kids: Do NOT try doing this with wood toothpicks. Eating those would not be a fun experience.
(Reuters)
(Here's a photo, and here's a video of them being made.)
Originally posted on January 26th, 2024