Fortune cookies - crisp wafers folded around a bit of paper with some Chinglish wisdom or a vague fortune printed on one side and lottery numbers on the other – are a ubiquitous feature in Chinese restaurants in America or Europe, so much so that people often get the mistaken impression that these cookies are part of Chinese cuisine. Nothing could be further from the case. In fact, fortune cookies were invented in California.

Two people historically claim credit for the invention of the fortune cookie, Makoto Hagiwara in San Francisco in 1909 and David Jung in Los Angeles in 1918. The battle for credit has been a long and heated one; even San Francisco's Court of Historical Review weighed in on the issue, deciding in favor of the San Franciscan in what can hardly be called an unbiased decision.

Whoever really invented the fortune cookie, one thing is certain: they are distinctly American. There is not even a Chinese word for the dessert. The term “fortune cookie” can be translated into Chinese almost a dozen ways. But there's no need to break your head over which is the most accurate translation because no matter which translation you use Chinese people still won't know what on earth you’re talking about – unless they've been to America of course. 

Reference
wikipedia.org

Technorati Tags: American David Lung Food and Drink Fortune Cookie Makoto Hagiwara