Facts About Fortune Cookies

Fortune cookies have fascinated America for nearly a century. Reading a sentence of inspiration from a piece of paper pulled from a cookie is inherently intriguing to many. The origins of the fortune cookie lie in the nation that relishes them the most.

History

Most Americans naturally assume that the fortune cookie comes from Asia, most notably China. That is, in fact, false. The fortune cookie originated in California in the early 1900s. The exact city and year is in continual debate.

The Inventor of the Fortune Cookie

It is uncertain who created the fortune cookie. It is said that a Chinese man by the name of David Jung immigrated to California and started up his own noodle company. In 1918, he was saddened by the poverty there, so he decided to make a cookie that he could distribute free. Then, with the help of a Presbyterian minister, he placed inspiring biblical messages inside of them.

There is another story--of a Japanese gardener who helped design the Tea Gardens at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. He was fired by the mayor and then rehired by a new mayor. He created the fortune cookie in 1914 with "Thank You" messages on the inside to show his appreciation for all those that supported him. Supposedly, the cookies became so famous that they were sold at the World's Fair in 1915, though there is no record indicating that this happened.

Asia and the Fortune Cookie

Asia didn't have its first taste of the fortune cookie until the 1990s. It was received positively but also as very American. Asian cuisine is not normally served with sweets, so it is believed that the American people needed something sweet to be served with American-Chinese cuisine, and the fortune cookie is what they came up with.

Fortune Cookie: Very American

America is the creator of the fortune cookie. We have them for all occasions. They are served at weddings, themed parties, holiday events and of course restaurants.

How a Fortune Cookie Is Made

Originally fortune cookies were made with chopsticks. The dough is rolled out and baked flat. The instant the baked dough comes out of the oven the baker has no more than 30 seconds to place the thin strip of paper with the fortune on it in the center. The chopsticks were then used to fold and shape the dough before it cooled. Only a few cookies could be baked at once since doing it this way did not allow enough time to fold and shape the baked cookie dough before it cooled.
Today the cookies are rolled and shaped by machines within seconds. The Wonton Food Company in Long Island ships over 60 million cookies each month.

Resources

• New York Times American Fortune Cookie