β¨Trivia
Fortune Cookies Are Not Chinese
Fortune cookies were actually invented in California and are virtually unknown in China, where they're considered an American novelty.
About this fact
Despite being served in Chinese restaurants worldwide, fortune cookies are an American invention, likely created by Japanese immigrants in California in the early 1900s. The concept was inspired by Japanese tsujiura senbei (fortune crackers). During World War II, when Japanese Americans were interned, Chinese restaurant owners adopted the tradition. Fortune cookies became so associated with Chinese cuisine in America that they spread to Chinese restaurants globally. However, in China itself, these cookies are completely foreign and are actually marketed as 'American cookies' when sold there.