Fortune cookies are a popular crisp and sugary cookie wafer, made from flour, sugar, vanilla and sesame seed oil. They come complete with a piece of paper inside, which typically carries a fortune, an aphorism or a vague prophecy, and they are often served following a Chinese meal. This has led to the common misconception that fortune cookies were invented in China… but the truth is, they weren’t invented in China at all.
The truth about fortune cookies
The truth is, fortune cookies were actually invented in California, although the exact origin of the fortune cookie is somewhat mysterious.
Origin story 1:
Makoto Hagiwara, a Japanese-born American landscape designer responsible for expanding and maintaining the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park, is reported to have been the first person to serve the version of a fortune cookie that we know and love, in the 1900s.
Origin story 2:
David Jung, founder of the Hong Kong Noodle Company in Los Angeles, then claimed that he was the one to invent the fortune cookie in 1918.
Origin story 3:
A third claim to the invention of the fortune cookie belongs to Seiichi Kito, the founder of Fugetsu-do of Little Tokyo in Los Angeles. He claimed that he got the idea from omikuji (fortune slips), which are sold at temples and shrines in Japan. He went on to say he sold his cookies to Chinese restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles, where they were enthusiastically received.
So next time you enjoy a fortune cookie with your Chinese meal, remember this myth busting post.
