What is that green thing on the toothpick?

This is not an ordinary toothpick, but a chocolate mint paste for guests to clean their mouths. Use the green tip to pick your teeth, and you will feel the refreshing mint flavor.

Today, due to the increasing awareness of environmental protection, toothpick manufacturers gradually no longer use wood to make toothpicks, but use some edible or decomposable materials to make them. Such as starchy plastics, etc. Some toothpicks in China are made of bamboo. In the past, some of the toothpicks used by the Chinese royal family were even made of ivory. Toothpicks and toothpick packaging are also a special preference of some collectors. In addition, toothpicks used in Asia are often sharper than toothpicks used in Europe and the United States.

One thing to note is that when toothpicks are mentioned in ancient Chinese poems, they often refer to book "tags" made of elephant "tusks" rather than toothpicks used for picking teeth.

In Hawaii, a Chinese restaurant once had an old lady’s teeth bleed after picking them with a toothpick. The judge ruled that she failed to state in writing the methods and dangers of using toothpicks and was ordered to pay millions in compensation. Therefore, toothpick boxes in the United States are marked with instructions on how to use toothpicks and the dangers of improper use.

Extended information:

Toothpicks are usually small thin sticks with one or two pointed ends. There are also toothpicks with a hook-shaped front end and a pointed end. The flat end can be broken off and put on the shelf. Hold the toothpick end. Usually made of bamboo, wood or metal. It can be used to clean the mouth and remove tartar and foreign matter or food residues stuck in the gaps between teeth. It has a wide range of uses and is a common daily necessities for people all over the world after meals. It is generally available in restaurants, hotels, restaurants and homes. However, if used frequently, the gaps between teeth will become larger.

The jury is still out, but archaeologists have found toothpick-like indentations in the teeth of prehistoric people. Remains of small bamboo sticks were also found between the teeth. In the United States, the first person to use toothpicks was a seafood restaurant "Union Oyster House" in Boston, Massachusetts. This restaurant is also the oldest restaurant in the United States. It is possible that the toothpick was "invented" by a Harvard student. The entrepreneur who invented the toothpick attempted to use Harvard students as his best customers at the time, and even paid Harvard students to eat in the restaurant just to let them try the toothpick.

Reference materials:

Toothpick_Baidu Encyclopedia ?