I'm Wondering Where the Modern Day Chinese Fortune Cookie Originated

Whenever you go to a Chinese restaurant here in the United States, you will receive a Fortune Cookie at the end of your meal. Inside the fortune cookie will be a slip of paper that contains a philosophical saying or fortune. It is believed that the actual cookie that is now distributed in Chinese restaurants originally came from San Francisco. Some say that it originally came from Los Angeles. Silly as this may sound, this really has been a contentious matter that I don't think has ever been conclusively settled.

The origination of the fortune cookie is claimed by several different groups in California who say they are responsible for making the Chinese fortune cookie popular. Some claim that David Jung, founder of the Hong Kong Noodle company in Los Angeles, was the original founder. Others claim that Makoto Hagiwara of San Francisco made the first fortune cookie. It has also been said that the fortune cookie actually is a tradition that has come from Japan or China itself, although, it's true that you won't find fortune cookies in China today. This matter has been so much debated that a mock trial was held in San Francisco in 1983 to settle the dispute. A cookie was placed into evidence that said, "S.F. Judge who rules for L.A. Not Very Smart Cookie". The mock court ruled That Hagiwara of San Francisco made the first fortune cookie, but this was by no means an unbiased decision. I guess there was no pressure applied here.

Michele Starkey wrote an article called, Crumbling the Fortune Cookie Myth, which I thought was quite interesting. Her article made me curious to find out just where these little cookies really come from. After doing a little research, it seems logical to me that the cookies actually originated from Japan, but who really knows for sure. The cookie that originated in Japan has similarities to the fortune cookie and could easily have been adapted by Makoto Hagiwara in San Francisco.

One thing for sure, though, fortune cookies in the United States Chinese restaurants are quite popular. Sometimes they even have pretty good fortunes. I like it when they tell you that you will have good luck for the rest of your life. I can't say that fortune cookies are that tasty. I don't always eat them, but I can't resist checking the fortunes.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortune_cookie

http://www.fancyfortunecookies.com/Articles.asp?ID=148http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2876694/crumbling_the_fortune_cookie_myth.html?cat=9