# toothpick
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpick/240684
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 18, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpick/240684 "2004-04-18T16:26:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jcamacho66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcamacho66)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpick/240684/1 "2004-04-18T16:26:57Z")
Trying to make my own cinnamon toothpicks, this was a craze when I was in high school. I cant remeber the best way to keep the flavor in the toothpick, do you just have to soak for several days?. I seem to remember some people baking them? Also, when I soak in my wifes muffin pan the picks don’t absorb much flavor vs. soaking in a glass container. Also which is a better soaking method, laying pick flat or standing pick upright? Thanks to anyone who has a good way of making home-made cinnamon toothpicks.-J
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### Author:  [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpick/240684/2 "2004-04-18T22:12:14Z")
Here’s one source: [The Great American Spice Company](http://www.americanspice.com/catalog/search.html?SEARCH=31&x=1082326188&WORDS=cinnamon%2Btoothpicks&_ssess_=SEARCH_ENGINE)
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### Author:  [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpick/240684/3 "2004-04-19T00:09:14Z")
The flavour comes from compounds (eg cinnamaldehyde) soluble in in organic solvents. So you could extract these using ethanol (or a high proof spirit like vodka), reduce it by evaporation, soak your toothpicks and dry them out.
Do I have to mention to keep the ethanol away from flame.
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### Author:  [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpick/240684/4 "2004-04-19T00:34:33Z")
Just buy some cinnamon oil and soak them over night. That works well.
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### Author:  [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpick/240684/5 "2004-04-19T01:52:10Z")
-
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- Why don’t you go the “tomacco” route, and try grafting a branch from a white birch onto a cinnamon plant?
😃
…
- And by the by, we note that the third entry in Google for “toothpicks wood” is a link to a Straight Dope page:
[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=toothpicks+wood&btnG=Google+Search](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=toothpicks+wood&btnG=Google+Search)
~