Fortune Cookies Aren't Chinese?!
Fortune cookies — those crisp, sweet treats that conclude meals at many Chinese restaurants across America — carry secrets not just inside their folded shells, but in their origins too. Far from the traditional Chinese dessert many assume them to be, their true beginnings tell a story spanning continents and cultures.
The Journey From Kyoto, Japan
Before finding their way into your takeout box, fortune cookies started life far from China in the bakeries of Kyoto, Japan. Around the 1870s, these treats, then known as "tsujiura senbei," were made with darker, more robust ingredients like sesame and miso. This version only slightly resembles the lighter, vanilla-flavored cookies we're familiar with today.
Migration to American Shores
The shift from Japanese treat to Chinese restaurant staple occurred largely in California, where Japanese immigrants introduced the snack. Following the expulsion of Chinese workers due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, Japanese bakeries began producing these cookies, adapting the flavor to suit American palates with vanilla and butter.
An American Icon Emerges
By the early 20th century, San Francisco's Japanese Tea Garden became the first known U.S. venue to serve fortune cookies. This was a strategic move to cater to the dessert expectations of American diners. However, the outbreak of WWII and the subsequent internment of Japanese Americans saw Chinese entrepreneurs stepping in, turning the production of fortune cookies into a predominantly Chinese-American business.
Beyond a Cookie
Despite their Japanese origins, fortune cookies have become a symbol of Chinese cuisine in America, often employed in pop culture to represent an entire community. This misattribution has led to stereotypes overlooking the cookie's actual multicultural backstory. Yet, their role in American dining culture demonstrates the complex relationship of immigration, adaptation, and acceptance.
Today, the humble fortune cookie continues to be a poignant symbol of cultural intermingling and culinary evolution.
Reference: The Surprising Origins of the Fortune Cookie
