A little history of the Chinese fortune cookie may help

A little history of the Chinese fortune cookie may help you decide if its a lucky dessert!

When we want to treat ourselves to a night out, or just want to order in, the neighborhood Chinese restaurant is a favorite destination. Along with the experience of dining on several tasty and exotic dishes, you get a bonus when it comes time for dessert. The traditional dessert of Chinese fortune cookies makes for a cheerful ending to a good meal. Its fun for everyone when your waitperson comes with a bowl of Chinese fortune cookies, each with a message just for you. You feel a little excitement mixed with apprehension as you break open the little treat. Here are a few tidbits you may not know, on the origin and the rituals associated with this singular cookie.

You may be surprised to learn that the so-called Chinese fortune cookie was reportedly first made by a Japanese cook, who served the cookie at San Franciscos Japanese Tea Garden, around the turn of the 20th century. The Japanese version uses a slightly different recipe and is a bit larger and browner than the Chinese cookie. Its also a fact that, were you to travel to China, youd not find a Chinese fortune cookie at any restaurant. On the other hand, you will find it served in Japan!

So how did the cookie become customary dessert fare here in Americas Chinese restaurants? Apparently, a Chinese cook in Oakland, California was the first to invent a machine which allowed for mass production of the treat. The rest is history.

Depending on where you live, you might have noticed that some cookies contain written messages and Chinese proverbs, while others contain sequences of numbers. Some people regard the numbers as fortunate indeed.

This brings us to an interesting chance event, which occurred a few years back in a Powerball drawing. When the lottery results were published, it was found that over 100 people had chosen 5 of the 6 numbers correctly. What was even more coincidental, and puzzling to the lottery officials, was that none of these 100 or so lucky people had chosen a Powerball number. So curious were the officials, they decided to investigate. What they discovered was that every one of these 100-plus individuals had chosen their numbers from a Chinese fortune cookie produced by a single factory in Long Island, New York. Strange, but true. The officials concluded that nothing illegitimate had taken place and these lucky people were awarded some substantial winnings.

So, next time you partake of a Chinese dinner, you can open that fortune cookie with a very hopeful attitude. Ill bet your fellow diners will enjoy hearing what you know about the Chinese fortune cookie lore.