I guess that one of the pleasures of travelling is sampling local delicacies that you would be unlikely to encounter at home, but I do wonder if anyone would ever consider tucking in to a lovely dish of deep fried toothpicks?

Should that repast set your gastric juices going then maybe a trip to South Korea should be on your bucket list, but beware as the South Korean food ministry says that the consumption of toothpicks has yet to be verified as safe.

The toothpicks, which are seen as being environmentally friendly and biodegradable, are often to be found on tables in Korean restaurants, and can also be used to pick up finger food.

But now it seems that following their growth in popularity that the food ministry there has had to issue warnings to people not to eat them until safety checks have been completed.

Perhaps they’re considered preferable to roast dog or bat or whatever else is the local staple diet!

Once deep-fried, the toothpicks – made from either sweet potato or corn starch – resemble jade-coloured, skinny curly fries. 

Clips of people tucking into the toothpicks after they’ve been cooked in oil and topped with seasoning, such as powdered cheese, have been circulating on social media across the country where on line eating shows called, Mukbang, often feature people eating excessive amounts of food or unusual dishes.

As a result of this it seems that young children have been requesting treats of toothpick fries as a result!

Well at least they should be cheap!

The subject of today’s historical feature chosen by Margaret Mills concerned the activities of the early flying entrepreneurs, like NOEL PEMBERTON BILLING who were the early pioneers of  air flight from tiny airfields like the one at South Fambridge.

If you missed what Margaret had to say on this subject today, you can listen again here:-

I very much hope to have your company again next week,
Scott