The toothpick doesn’t need explanation. It’s one of those items that’s so simple, so ubiquitous that recognition of what it is and what you’re supposed to use it for seems like innate knowledge. Even its name serves as an abridged instruction manual — use this to pick your teeth.
But toothpicks aren’t as dull as that; there are many stories to be told about them, including one regarding toothpicks with grooves that offer a somewhat secret function.
Hiding in plain sight
Grooved toothpicks, which are sometimes known as Japanese toothpicks, are not the most common type available. You probably won’t find them in a dish at the host’s station near the entryway of a restaurant — those are typically reserved for individually wrapped round variants. Another common type is the flat toothpick, and then there are plastic toothpicks, toothpicks for oral care and toothpicks with little umbrellas attached to their tops.
Photo by Henry Phillips for Gear PatrolThe most common example of the grooved Japanese toothpick, which is characterized by its blunt notched end, might be the flavored picks from Tea Tree Therapy. The grooves, which give this type of toothpick a decorative look, also act as a weak point — break off the end, and you have a small stand that you can use to prop up the pointy end so it doesn’t contact the tabletop. (That means whether the pick or the table is dirty, sanitation remains.)
It’s a simple, handy trick, just like the toothpick itself, and a fitting feature for flavored toothpicks designed for enjoyment as much as extracting popcorn kernels from your gums. You might pop one in while reading a book — such as The Toothpick: Technology and Culture, by Henry Petroski, which details the history of these little wooden skewers over more than 450 pages.
