The Fortune Cookie didn’t come from China



One of the signature items of Chinese restaurants, the beloved fortune cookie, did not originate in China. In fact, the cookies and paper fortunes are almost completely unknown in mainland China.


The iconic crunchy cookie with words of wisdom inside actually originated in the United States in the early 20th century. Japanese cookies made of sesame and wasabi wrapped in paper fortunes are thought to be the inspiration of the vanilla and sugar flavored hollow “Chinese” fortune cookies with the fortune inside. The modified fortune cookies were being made by hand in San Francisco and Los Angeles bakeries in the early 20th century. The cookies took off in popularity after World War 2 when the automatic cookie making machine was perfected in Oakland, dramatically dropping the production price and allowing Chinese restaurants to offer them as a complimentary desert novelty.


Today, over 3 billion fortune cookies are produced annually, the vast majority of which are consumed in the United States.


Access China Tours provides clients with delicious Chinese cuisine, just don’t expect any fortune cookies.