"Starch Toothpick Fry, Once Warned 'Don't Eat,' Spreads to China"

CCTV, SCMP Highlighted as Popular
Chinese Health Authorities Issue 'Warning Alert'

Recently, a recipe for fried starch toothpicks that spread mainly through domestic social networking services (SNS) has been confirmed to have spread to China as well. Chinese health authorities and parents with children are reportedly growing increasingly concerned.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 31st (local time) that "fried starch toothpicks, popular among young people in Korea, are also spreading to mainland China."

Frying green starch toothpicks [Image source=Chinese SNS]

Fried starch toothpicks are a recipe that involves frying green starch-based toothpicks at high temperatures. When starch is fried in cooking oil, it expands more than three times in size, resulting in a crispy texture similar to commercially sold snacks. In addition, variations of the recipe have emerged, such as boiling the starch toothpicks in hot water or sprinkling cheese powder, hot sauce, and other toppings on the fried toothpicks.

Earlier, on the 23rd, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) issued an urgent press release expressing concerns that "starch toothpicks have not been verified for safety as food, so consuming them is not advisable." The owner of the manufacturing company that produces this product also publicly urged people not to eat it.

Similar concerns are spreading in China. Chinese state media CCTV reported that parents are increasingly worried about their children eating fried starch toothpicks. Additionally, Chinese health authorities have issued health warnings, stating that this cooking method could potentially have negative health effects.

Videos of fried toothpicks in China have reportedly gained great popularity, with over 3.33 million views. Local netizens reacted with comments such as, "Even if the starch is fine, artificial coloring can definitely affect the human body," "I don't understand why people eat something that looks like a bug," and "Does it really taste good when eaten like that?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.