The Fascinating History and Making of Fortune Cookies

Contrary to popular belief, fortune cookies originated not in China, but in California early in the 20th century. They are inspired by Japanese cookies with omikuji (fortunes) inside, made in temples.

The ingredients are simple: flour, sugar, vanilla, and sesame seed oil. The batter is similar to a tuile cookie—a thin, crisp treat often served with ice cream.

Batter is poured onto a griddle, baked until golden, then quickly shaped by hand or machine before hardening. Speed is key, as they solidify in seconds.

The paper fortune is folded and placed on the hot, flat cookie. The cookie is then bent over the edge of a cup or mold to create its iconic shape, trapping the fortune inside.

Fortunes are often written by professional writers. They include aphorisms, advice, or even lottery numbers. The papers are treated to be safe for consumption and handle the baking process.

Today, machines handle large-scale production. They mix, bake, insert fortunes, fold, and package at a rate of thousands per hour, far from the original manual methods.

Fortune cookies have become a staple in American Chinese restaurants. They're a fun dessert surprise, reflecting a blend of cultures and the immigrant experience in the United States.

The world's largest fortune cookie factory produces over 4 million cookies a day in Brooklyn, New York, not California.