The truth about fortune cookies (spoiler alert: they’re not Chinese)

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 expresses a fortune, or an aphorism or a vague prophecy, inside, 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 actually weren’t invented in China at all.

The truth about fortune cookies

The truth is, fortune cookies were actually invented in California, although the actual 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 1900’s.

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, is 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 onto say he sold his cookies to Chinese restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and they were enthusiastically received.

So next time you enjoy a fortune cookie with your Chinese meal, remember this myth busting post.