Behind the scenes
The wooden alternative to cigarettes and chewing gum
by Manuel Wenk
Cinnamon and Zunder – a neat yet wildly overpriced gimmick
17.1.2025
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Video: Davide Arizzoli
They’re stylish and claim to help fight bad habits: flavoured toothpicks. Is there anything to them? I tried them out, chewing through countless spiced wooden sticks from Zunder.
When I think of toothpicks, I immediately remember American wrestler Scott Hall, who passed away in 2022. Back in the 1990s as Razor Ramon, he used to run into the ring with a toothpick in the corner of his mouth then spit it at his opponent or into the camera.
Throwing toothpicks at strangers on the street would, of course, also have been a way of testing these flavoured ones. But since I don’t like risking a beating, I left it at a regular product test, as you can see in the video above (for subtitles, go to Settings > Subtitles/CC > Auto-translate and choose English).
Toothpicks and me
Fellow editor Manuel Wenk drew my attention to this funky little product. A while ago, he wrote about flavoured toothpicks becoming increasingly popular with Galaxus customers. Sales across all flavours have increased more than sixfold since August 2023.
Why this sudden popularity? Well, reports about celebrities trying to quit smoking with toothpicks (article in German) may have contributed to this. And then there’s manufacturer marketing. The website of Zurich-based brand Zunder, for example, states that its flavoured toothpicks are much more than just your average bit of wood:
«A small piece of wood […] simply makes a big difference in terms of style. On the other hand, the toothpicks ensure a long-lasting good taste and instant fresh breath. The toothpicks can also help you to break bad habits such as biting your nails or eating sweets.»
Well then, let’s see what we have here.
Source: Davide Arizzoli
Cinnamon trumps all
Menthol, apple, berries – Zunder toothpicks are available in six different flavours. In my test, I opt for cinnamon. I almost always choose that flavour when I have the choice. After chewing through a few different toothpicks thoroughly, I’ve come to the clear conclusion that the flavour is most intense and lasts the longest with the cinnamon ones.
Spicy – and pricey
One stylish metal box with 80 flavoured Zunder toothpicks will cost you nearly eleven francs. I agree, that’s a lot of dosh for just a little wood. This can be partly explained by the elaborate presentation these toothpicks insist on. In addition, Zunder has been producing regionally since it was founded in 2015, in a socially run workshop in the canton of Thurgau (website in German).
Source: Davide Arizzoli
According to its website, Zunder uses European birch for its toothpicks, and wood is already a sustainable raw material in itself. In addition, Zunder promises to save one square metre of rainforest for every pack of toothpicks sold and is working with the World Land Trust, an international environmental protection organisation.
Whether Zunder’s social and sustainable commitment justifies the relatively high price of the toothpicks is something everyone has to decide for themselves. But for the sake of transparency, yes, we also offer cheaper alternatives, with and without flavour.
No harm, no foul?
After chewing through a few dozen toothpicks, I have to be honest: I’m no good at toothpicking. Aside from a few minutes of delicious cinnamony joy, I simply don’t get enough out of it, it gives me nothing. The toothpicks don’t stop me from vaping, even if they do delay the next round of it by a minute or two. At least there’s that.
Source: Davide Arizzoli
If anything, the little wooden stick has a detrimental effect on my style. At least that’s what I think. But the style train has long since left the station for me anyway.
Last but not least, something that won’t work at all with Zunder’s toothpicks: making little chestnut animals. They’re too soft for that since they’re soaked in flavouring. And they’d definitely be too expensive.
Source: Davide Arizzoli
In a nutshell
Flavoured toothpicks: neat, but not a must-have
Zunder’s flavoured toothpicks look neat and modern. The local and ethical production as well as the pronounced sustainability also score points with me. They have a pleasant cinnamon flavour, which lasts a good quarter of an hour per toothpick.
Still, I’ve never been a toothpick person, and even Zunder can’t change that. The expensive bits of wood don’t stop me from bad habits such as vaping. But maybe they’ll work for you, so I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying. Who knows? Maybe you’ll acquire a taste for them, whatever flavour you go for.
Pro
- Intense flavour
- Local production
- Sustainable
Contra
- No apparent benefit
- Expensive
I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.
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