South Korea warns people not to eat fried toothpicks after trend goes viral
Muknagers, influencers who record themselves eating an immense amount of food, helped make the trend go viral. Now, the Korean government is warning citizens not to eat fried toothpicks.
South Korean health officials are warning people not to eat fried toothpicks after viral videos make the trend popular.
The toothpicks in question are not the typical wooden ones used around America. They're made from starch. When fried, they puff up and resemble green curly fries more than toothpicks.
The not-so-edible dish became popular after videos of influencers frying the green sticks became viral. TikTokers would fry the toothpicks, watch them turn into puffs, then sprinkle seasonings, like powdered cheese, onto the picks before eating them.
According to Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, these toothpicks are environmentally friendly and biodegradable. They're made from corn or sweet potato starch and green food coloring, but it is unclear if they are actually safe to eat.
"Starch toothpicks are not [an] edible product," said the ministry in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Please do not eat."
The post says to please only use the toothpicks for teeth.
According to Reuters, toothpicks are often used in restaurants or for finger foods.
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Popularity of 'mukbangs' in South Korea led to fried toothpicks trend
The fried toothpicks aren't the first unusual food trend to become popular in South Korea. "Mukbangs" are eating shows or vlogs where people eat excessive amounts of food, and they're pretty popular in South Korea, reports Reuters.
@Jang.Guem.Mukbang is a mukbang TikToker who posted a video of herself frying and eating the toothpicks which has since been removed from her page. She posts videos of herself eating all sorts of food, from fruits dipped into a sweet sauce to blue Takis, a spicy Mexican chip, that she dipped in various sauces, to pupa.
Mukbangs have also made American YouTubers and internet stars, like Nikocado Avocado, popular.
Health.com reports experts warn that mukbang videos could trigger binge eating or other disordered eating. It states that it is unclear if these influencers are spitting out the food in between takes.