Fortune Cookie: An American Treat with Japanese Roots and a Chinese Accent
A fortune cookie, that quintessential crisp and sugary wafer, has become a ubiquitous dessert in Chinese restaurants across the United States, Canada, Australia, and beyond. Made from a simple batter of flour, sugar, vanilla, and sesame seed oil, these cookies hold a small slip of paper containing a "fortune"-an aphorism, a vague prophecy, or even a Chinese phrase with its translation, sometimes accompanied by lucky numbers. However, despite its strong association with Chinese cuisine, the fortune cookie's origins are far from Chinese.
Unraveling the Mystery: The True Origins of the Fortune Cookie
The exact origin of the fortune cookie remains shrouded in mystery, with various immigrant groups in California laying claim to its popularization in the early 20th century. However, the most plausible theory points to Japanese immigrants in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as the true originators of this iconic treat.
As far back as the 19th century, a cookie remarkably similar in appearance to the modern fortune cookie existed in Kyoto, Japan. Known as tsujiura senbei ("fortune crackers"), these cookies were wafer-like in texture and often flavored with sesame and miso, offering a more savory profile than their modern, sweeter counterparts. Moreover, these Japanese cookies also contained fortune cookies’ signature calling card: a paper fortune held in the bend of the wafer. There is a Japanese temple tradition of random fortunes, called omikuji.
From Japan to America: The Fortune Cookie's Journey West
During a surge of Asian immigration to the United States' West Coast in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Japanese immigrants introduced their culinary traditions, including the tsujiura senbei. Makoto Hagiwara is believed to have been the first to serve the cookies at Golden Gate Park’s Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco in 1908.
Competing claims eventually arose from other culinary entrepreneurs in Los Angeles, including David Jung, founder of the Hong Kong Noodle Company, who claimed to have invented the cookie in 1918, and Seiichi Kito, the founder of Fugetsu-do of Little Tokyo, who claimed to have gotten the idea of putting a message in a cookie from Omikuji (fortune slip) which are sold at temples and shrines in Japan. San Francisco's Court of Historical Review attempted to settle the dispute in 1983. A federal judge of the Court of Historical Review, from San Francisco themselves, determined that the cookie originated with Hagiwara and the court ruled in favor of San Francisco.
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The Shift to Chinese Restaurants: A Culinary Appropriation
The modern American fortune cookie seems to have made the cultural leap from Japan to China around World War II for various reasons. By then both Japanese and Chinese restaurants were serving them in San Francisco and Los Angeles - with the rising popularity, Japanese purveyors often sold them to Chinese restaurants. As many Japanese immigrants were interned during World War II, Chinese bakeries began carrying the torch of their production and were among the first to mechanize the fortune cookie-making process. This unfortunate turn of events led to the association of fortune cookies with Chinese cuisine, solidifying its place as a staple in Chinese restaurants across North America and beyond.
Mass Production and Global Distribution
Fortune cookies before the early 20th century were all made by hand. They are made from a simple batter of sugar, flour, water, and eggs. When heated, the dough stays flexible, allowing it to be shaped. As it cools, the sugar crystallizes, creating a crisp, glossy cookie. Today, the mass production of fortune cookies is a large-scale operation. One of the largest manufacturer of fortune cookies is Wonton Food, based in New York. They make over 4.5 million fortune cookies per day. Other large manufacturers are Baily International in the Midwest and Peking Noodle in Los Angeles. There are other smaller, local manufacturers including Tsue Chong Co. in Seattle, Keefer Court Food in Minneapolis, Sunrise Fortune Cookie in Philadelphia, and Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in San Francisco.
Manufacturing processes vary, but they generally follow the same procedure. The ingredients (typically made with a base of flour, sugar, vanilla, and sesame seed oil) are mixed in a large tank and squirted onto fast moving trays. These function like a conveyor belt and are heated to cook the dough. Cookies are compressed with round hot plates to shape and cook them. The cookies bake for approximately one minute and are reshaped. They can be mechanically shaped or folded by hand. When automated, a machine folds the cookie into the correct orientation with the fortune inside. Cooled and hardened cookies are sealed in plastic wrappers, which are inspected before being shipped.
Variations and Cultural Adaptations
While the standard fortune cookie remains the most common, variations exist in flavor, color, and even message content. Some manufacturers offer multi-cultural versions of the fortune cookie, incorporating different languages or cultural references. Fortune cookies are sometimes used for special marketing promotions. Cookies from different manufacturers have different ingredients and nutritional content. One cookie typically contains around 80 to 130 kilojoules (20 to 30 kilocalories) of food energy and 5-7 g of total carbohydrates. A cookie may have sugar varying from 0-3 g, between 2-8 mg of sodium, and may have significant (compared to their size) amounts of iron or protein.
The Fortune Within: Messages and Meanings
While the cookie itself is a delightful treat, most people consider the fortune to be the essence of the cookie. Early fortunes featured Biblical sayings, or aphorisms from Confucius, Aesop, or Ben Franklin. Later, fortunes included recommended lottery numbers, smiley faces, jokes, and sage, if hackneyed, advice. Wonton employs a Chief Fortune Writer to come up with new fortunes each year. Back in the ‘80s, fortune cookies typically resembled horoscopes, i.e., “You will be successful.” They evolved and these days often feature sayings that make people happy, such as “You have a natural grace and great consideration for others” and “Every exit is an entrance to new experiences.” There’s a team of Wonton Food employees that approves the fortunes before they’re released. The company also receives a lot of feedback, both good and bad, about its fortunes.
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Fortune Cookies in Modern Culture
The fortune cookie has transcended its culinary origins to become a cultural icon. It has been featured in movies, television shows, and advertisements, solidifying its place in popular culture. Fortune cookies are sometimes used for special marketing promotions. They have become a symbol of Chinese-American cuisine and a source of amusement and lighthearted wisdom for people of all ages.
A Culinary Paradox: Absence in China
Despite its global popularity and association with Chinese restaurants, fortune cookies are virtually unknown in China itself. This culinary paradox highlights the Americanization of Chinese cuisine and the creation of dishes specifically tailored to Western tastes.
Alternative Chinese Desserts
While the Chinese have no tradition of dessert, one competing legend of the fortune cookie suggests it was introduced in the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and the idea pirated by a local Chinese restauranteur. The Chinese believe the fortune cookie is a modern Chinese American interpretation of the moon cake. Legend has it that moon cakes were used in the fourteenth century as a means of critical communication.
Though fortune cookies may not be a traditional Chinese dessert, there are several delicious and easy-to-make options that are very popular. Commonly associated with Chinese New Year, Nian gao is a dish that is believed to bring prosperity and good fortune. Egg tarts are a delicious dish you’ll find in dim sum restaurants. Chinese food gets much of its flavoring from red beans. Red bean buns are made with red bean paste, sugar, flour, milk, dry yeast, and water.
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