Fortune cookies pervade American culture. Every Chinese restaurant, from fast food to elegant dining, offers fortune cookies as part of its meal. Fortune cookies don't only show up in Chinese restaurants anymore; people can buy birthday fortune cookies, jumbo fortune cookies, custom giant fortune cookies and gourmet fortune cookies. You (or your customer) can also customize your own fortune cookie message.

If you want to start a fortune cookie business, buy fortune cookies in bulk and resell them, or offer them to your customers, then get fortune cookies education and training to start your business on solid ground. To begin, ask yourself a few questions to better narrow your focus:

1. What's unique about fortune cookies?

2. How can I make fortune cookies most efficiently?

3. Do I want to offer my customers custom fortune cookie services, like giant fortune cookies or gourmet fortune cookies?

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Learn about different fortune cookies

To start your fortune cookies education and training, first learn a bit about fortune cookies. Fortune cookies originated in Japan and made their way across the world to the United States, taking slightly different forms along the way. Find a basic recipe for fortune cookies and test the process.

I recommend: The New York Times Company has a video that explains the origins of fortune cookies and shows how they're made in Japan. Wabi Sabi Baby has a simple recipe to get you started in learning how to make fortune cookies.

Streamline the process of making fortune cookies

If you decide to make your own fortune cookies instead of buying them, then you'll need to master the process and work with the recipe until you're satisfied. If you haven't yet decided between buying fortune cookies and making them, then time spent making a few practice batches will help you decide. Test the recipes until you learn how to achieve the flavor you desire. Learn and try different methods for making the fortune cookies to speed up the process and create the best cookies.

I recommend: Chinese-Fortune-Cookie.com has some tips for easily making fortune cookies. It also offers different options for making the cookies, including one method using a griddle and one method using a cookie cutter. Martha Stewart Living also has some creative tips for creating fortune cookies, as well as a recipe.

Research how to make custom fortune cookies, giant fortune cookies or gourmet fortune cookies

Your business can make custom fortune cookies to add even more business opportunities. Making a jumbo fortune cookie or a flavored fortune cookie will take a little more research into recipes as well as more time perfecting your recipe. But the extra research and work can give you an edge over your competition.

I recommend: If you want to offer giant fortune cookies, then you can use your regular fortune cookie recipe with a few modifications as suggested by The Cookie Recipe Club. If your business will offer flavored and other gourmet fortune cookies, then you may want to practice with recipes found at Fancy Fortune Cookies.

Fortune cookies are no longer a simple throwaway treat after a Chinese takeout meal. More and more are taking this simple dessert and turning into a thriving fortune cookie business. By offering birthday fortune cookies, jumbo fortune cookies, and other custom touches, these companies allow you to personalize these treats to meet your needs and offer a fun addition to events and memorable corporate gifts.

When you are looking to buy fortune cookies, there are increasingly more options to choose from. From a simple addition to a theme event to a highly personalized gift, today's fortune cookie options fit almost any occasion. To help decide what works best for you, consider the following main options:

1. Use plain fortune cookies to add a fun touch to an Asian-themed event.
2. Customize your own fortune cookie message as a unique publicity project.
3. Give custom giant fortune cookies as memorable gifts to employees and clientele.
   

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Buy generic fortune cookies in bulk for large events

Even without customized messages, fortune cookies can add the perfect touch to an Asian theme party or event. To add even more possibilities, you are no longer limited to only one flavor or color. Some fortune cookie vendors offer various colors to personalize the cookies to your needs.

I recommend: SpecialFortuneCookies.com offers pricing for traditional fortune cookies in quantities from 150 to 10,000 and above. Oriental Trading Company offers affordable fortune cookies for sale, including colored varieties to correspond with holidays such as Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, and Mardi Gras.

Make a custom fortune cookie order with your own messages inside

Making your company memorable to potential clients is becoming increasingly challenging. Simple business cards are no longer enough. But, now you can add your own message and even your logo to the inside of fortune cookies. To make them even more appealing, most custom fortune cookie vendors offer a variety of flavors and dipping options to add that special touch.

I recommend: Fancy Fortune Cookies offers exciting flavor choices for their personalized cookies. Their flavors range from sun-ripened strawberry and passion fruit to bubblegum and cappuccino. Chocolate Fortunes offer decadent personalized traditional cookies dipped in various chocolates. These include the traditional dark, milk, and white varieties, as well as strawberry, sherbet, lemon, and mint flavors in a rainbow of colors.

Give a memorable gift in the form of a jumbo fortune cookie

Make an employee or client appreciation gift truly memorable by presenting a giant fortune cookie, complete with a customized fortune inside. Many companies embellish these huge treats with chocolates, candies and other garnishes. Some even offer to customize one with your favorite photo. On top of being memorable, these cookies usually offer the largest space for customized messages and logos, some with fortunes up to a foot in length.

I recommend: CookieHQ.com boasts a selection of giant fortune cookies dipped in various chocolates and caramels an decorated with sprinkles, candies, crushed cookies and chocolate bars, and more. Good Fortunes offers jumbo fortune cookies decorated to celebrate many occasions.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you're ordering for a large event, estimate high. Plan on at least 2 to 3 cookies for each attendee. This may mean a bit higher cost, but remember that if it's customized, it's also advertising and public relations.

Fortune cookies are Chinese-American wafer cookies typically served after meals in Chinese-American restaurants. Some reports state that fortune cookies were first introduced by Makoto Hagiwara of Golden Gate’s Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco in the 1900s while other reports state that they were invented by a Chinese immigrant living in Los Angeles, David Jung. Many historical reports do confirm that fortune cookies are an American invention.

The first automated creation of fortune cookies occurred in the United States in 1964; before this, the cookies were made by hand using chopsticks. Find out more about these Chinese-American cookies by learning fortune cookies key terms.

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Personalized Fortune Cookies

Sometimes people want to create their own fortune cookies with a personalized message for special events, a company promotion, or a fun party.

I recommend: Fancy Fortune Cookies specializes in customized fortune cookies and also contains a section for recipes to make your own.

Sembet

A sembet is a flat, circular rice cracker popular in Japan. Some believe that the fortune cookie evolved from the sembet.

I recommend: Read more about a sembet at The Chinese Historical and Cultural Project.

Fortune

The 'fortune' is a prediction that is written on a small piece of paper hidden inside the cookie. Early fortunes were limited to scriptures and proverbs. Today, fortune cookies include a range of messages including romantic and personal messages, Bible verses and business messages.

I recommend: Learn more about the fortune messages of fortune cookies at Fact Monster.

Omikuji

Omikuji is the Japan version of the American fortune cookie. This cookie dates back to the 19th century and also contains a fortune. However, the Japan version is larger, made from darker dough and the batter is made from sesame and riso. The American fortune cookie batter contains vanilla and butter.

I recommend: Read more about omikuji at History Blog.

Moon cakes

Moon cakes were said to be used in the 13th and 14th centuries to share information about Chu Yuan Chang, a patriotic uprising that led to the Ming Dynasty. The Lotus Paste yolk originally found in moon cakes was replaced with rice paper messages which alerted individuals about key instructions for the revolution.

I recommend: Learn more about moon cakes at Chinese-Fortune-Cookie.com.

Chopsticks

Chopsticks are utensils, typically made from wood, used to eat and cook food in China. In addition to wood, chopsticks can also be created using bamboo, sandalwood, teak and pine. Fortune cookies were made for nearly 40 years by hand with chopsticks.

I recommend: Read more about chopsticks at California Academy of Research.

There is a variety of reasons why you may need to buy fortune cookies. Perhaps you own a Chinese restaurant and want to serve them to your patrons. Perhaps you want to distribute them to promote your company. Or perhaps you just want birthday fortune cookies to give to your employees as a morale booster. No matter your needs, there is a fortune cookie for you.

It may surprise you to learn that there are dozens of fortune cookies types and styles since the cookies are all the same shape. However, it is true. Three major ones are:

1. Traditional vanilla cookies with custom fortune options;

2. Colored cookies that are made to catch the eye;

3. Jumbo fortune cookies that are baked to be shared.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get fortune cookies with a custom message inside them

People who eat fortune cookies a lot may tire of the typical sayings on their papers, which are mass produced and distributed to hundreds, if not thousands, of restaurants. They are sure to remember yours if you customize your own fortune cookie message.

I recommend: Get in touch with Keefer Court Food if you want to write your own fortunes. You can have your custom fortune messages printed in black or color. You can even order an assortment, so people at the same table won't get the same message. The company will separate the batches for you for an extra charge. Fortune Cookie Supply may have what you need if you want to add a graphic. You can pick one or more "dodads" from their list of 20.

Look at fortune cookie vendors that sell colored cookies

Colored fortune cookies are not the best choice for traditional restaurants, but they are wonderful as promotional items and for special events. The cookie looks familiar, but bright colored ones certainly aren't, which really makes them pop.

I recommend: Consider the selection the Fortune Cookie Store sells. You can get cookies in yellow, orange, pink, green, red, brown or blue. They come with one of eight sets of preselected messages inside. The also have colored cookies with a fruit flavor added. These allow for custom messaging. If you want a cookie that is exclusive to your business or event, contact Extra Mile Promotional Products. This company lets you get cookies made in any PMS color.

Go for custom giant fortune cookies

Who wouldn't love to be surprised with a jumbo fortune cookie? These cookies, which are approximately five inches across, are perfect for employee incentives, as centerpieces and even as prizes for contests.

I recommend: Check out the dipped and decorated jumbo cookies offered by Fancy Fortune Cookies. You can order cookies covered in milk chocolate and rainbow sprinkles for an everyday occasion or ask the company to dress them up for holidays or parties. Each comes in its own bag with a ribbon. If you'd like more flavor options for your giant cookies, Chocolate Fortunes may be the fortune cookie business for you. It has peanut butter and butterscotch in addition to chocolate. You can also order your cookies plain so they look more like the Chinese restaurant variety.