Kuromoji is a flat wooden pick made from the spice bush, the kuromoji (Lindera), belonging to the Laurel family. Bark is left in the handling part of a pick by design. It has been mainly used for eating sweets at the tea ceremony.
When omogashi (principal sweet) is served, a pair of kuromoji picks is placed on top of the cover of a cake server. Each guest takes a piece of cake from the server with kuromoji picks like chopsticks and put the cake on kaishi paper. To eat the cake, use a kuromoji pick that you bring with your kaishi paper. When the cake is served on a small individual plate, eat it with a kuromoji pick.
Kuromoji is an atttractive tool with refreshing fragrance. It is an important equipment, which is inevitable for the Sabi aesthetics of the tea ceremony. Since kuromoji bears pretty flowers, it can be also used for a chabana (tea ceremony flower) arrangement.