Fortune Cookies

While the Chinese have no tradition of dessert, one theory of the origin of the fortune cookie is that it was introduced inthe Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco and the idea was pirated by a local Chinese restraunt owner. Most claima Japanese American heritage. The Chinese believe the fortune cookie to be a modern Chinese American interpretation of the moon cake. The most plausible story is from 1918- David Jung, founder of Hong Kong Noodle, invented the fortune cookie as a sweet treat. The process of making them was origianlly done with chopsticks, but Edward Louie made a folding machine for his Lotus Fortune Cookie Company, which is still in existence. Now the fortune cookie is mass prodcuced and widely distributed and exported to China and Hong Kong with fortunes that are written in English. They are however, most popular in the US, with promises of sucess, love, and good fortune.

See pic at bottom of page.