In China, there is a snack that seems like something pulled from a joke between classmates.
It is shaped like a notebook, a textbook, or a spiral-bound exercise book, but it is made of rice paper and starch and can be eaten like any other candy. Primary and secondary school students bought it by the thousands to relieve exam pressure: some say that biting into their own homework reduces their stress, and some parents are convinced that the snack even makes them smarter.
Not everyone is celebrating the idea. State broadcaster China National Radio warned that the coloring used to print the letters and covers might not meet food safety standards, since that type of dye is prohibited in starch products, although it is allowed in candy. A doctor from Mindong Hospital stepped in to calm concerns, assuring people that rice paper and food-grade colorings are safe to eat.
