Purchasing Resources for Fortune Cookies

Fortune Cookies Key Terms

Learn ancient history with fortune cookies key terms
By Apryl Beverly 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.

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.
Try:  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.
Try:  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.
Try:  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.
Try:  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.
Try:  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.
Try:  Read more about chopsticks at California Academy of Research.

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