A recent trend of eating toothpicks has taken over South Korean social media. The green toothpicks seen at almost every restaurant in South Korea are now being fried, boiled, and cooked for consumption.

South Koreans are not eating just any toothpicks, but specifically biodegradable ones made from sweet potato or corn starch dyed with green food coloring. Due to the edible nature of the ingredients, South Koreans began to experiment with the toothpicks by frying them in oil; once in oil, the toothpicks puff up and resemble fries. In other cases, people boil the green toothpicks until they have a similar texture to noodles.

After several clips of mukbangs with toothpicks went viral, others were influenced to do the same. People all over social media soon began eating the green toothpicks.

“Social media is very influential and I get why some people would be curious,” Stella Eu (10), a social media user, said. “However, this trend is not something I would personally participate in.”

The trend eventually came to the attention of the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. On Jan. 25, the ministry announced on X that the safety of the toothpicks was not verified to prevent people from potential harm. 

“The trend has gotten so big that it even caught the attention of South Korea’s Ministry of Safety,” Julie Koh (10), a social media user, said. “That just shows how big and influential some trends become.”

Food influencers have even gone as far as recommending specific dipping sauces to enhance the flavor of the fried toothpicks.