National Fortune Cookie Day September 13,2022 , history, quotes, FAQS
Add a little fun and excitement to your life by celebrating National Fortune Cookie Day. These engaging biscuits always have a suitably general clairvoyant message inside which normally promises good health, luck or fortune to the recipient. It’s always nice to get an assurance of pleasant things to come, so a Fortune Cookie or two is just the thing to provide an intriguing and delightful break in the day.
Every year, more than 3 billion fortune cookies are made and enjoyed by delighted fans. It’s time for everyone to enjoy this special celebration that is National Fortune Cookie Day!
History of National Fortune Cookie Day
Many Americans who eat at Chinese-themed restaurants in the US tend to receive a fortune cookie at the end, making them associate this tradition with Chinese culture. However, the actual origins of this delightful treat can be traced back to Kyoto, Japan in the 19th century before making their way to American culture in the 20th century.
As early as the 1870s, some Japanese sweet shops started making little crackers that were folded into shapes which allowed a message to be tucked into the bend (not into the hollow area). These original crackers would have been darker in color and made with miso and sesame, giving them less of a sweet taste than the fortune cookies of today.
The fortune cookies of today’s American-Chinese restaurants were then believed to be recreated from this idea when Japanese immigrants arrived on the scene in California and Hawaii in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Some people like to tell a story about the fortune cookie that revolves around the Japanese Tea Garden in the Golden Gate Park of San Francisco. The legend goes that the tea garden was the first restaurant in the area to serve the cookie, which was mady by the bakery, Benkyodo.
This bakery claims to have invented the vanilla and butter mixture flavoring that has followed the cookie into the present. They also say that they invented a machine in 1911 that changed the production of the fortune cookies from being slowly shaped by hand to machine production. However, three other Los Angeles based businesses also claim the invention of the modern fortune cookie, so it might be impossible to know exactly where it really came from!
NATIONAL FORTUNE COOKIE DAY TIMELINE
1878
First Portrayal of Fortune Cookies
The first portrayal of fortune cookies is documented in Japanese literature and history.
1900
Arrive in the United States
Japanese bakers set up businesses in areas like Los Angeles and San Francisco, manufacturing miso and sesame-flavored ‘fortune cookie’ crackers and other delicacies.
1964
The Fortune Cookie Machine is Created
Edward Louie — the proprietor of the “Lotus Fortune Cookie” business in San Francisco — creates the all-powerful machine.
1988
Fortune Cookie in Fun Flavors
“Fancy Fortune Cookies” now offers fortune cookies in a wide range of flavors, colors, and customizations, including milk chocolate, dipped, dark chocolate dipped, white chocolate dipped, with bespoke messages, and full-color imprinted fortunes.
NATIONAL FORTUNE COOKIE DAY ACTIVITIES
Try making your fortune Cookie
Making fortune cookies at home may be enjoyable not only for people who appreciate baking but also for those who enjoy calligraphy and creating unique messages for friends and family! Try your hand at making cookies today!
Go to Chinese restaurant
The most apparent way to commemorate the day is to treat yourself to a nice Chinese lunch, with a platter of fortune cookies as the closing dish. Of course, eating at American-Chinese restaurants is not a custom that originated in China — but it is a tradition nevertheless.
Fortune cookie party with friends
Why not buy some fortune cookies as a fun party favor for coworkers or friends? Or, for a refreshing change of pace, make a new neighbor a friend by showing up at their door with a basket full of fortune cookies.
5 FUN FACTS ABOUT FORTUNE COOKIES
Invented in Japan
According to historical sources, the original fortune cookie was developed in Japan.
Constructed differently from the original
As you might assume, the first fortune cookie was not like the ones we see today, it was originally produced using sesame oil, and it was browner and larger than the present version.
Only four ingredients
That the key four components are flour, sugar, vanilla extract, and oil is no surprise, given how delicious the cookie itself is.
Almost four million fortune cookies are created
Every day, nearly four million cookies are produced and each of those biscuits contains its own fortune.
15,000 unique fortune cookies
Brooklyn-based Wonton Food is the world’s largest producer of fortune cookies and messages had 15,000 fortunes.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL FORTUNE COOKIE DAY
Fortune cookies can be made with family
What better way to bond than to talk as the aroma of freshly baked fortune cookies wafts through the air? Recruit some friends or family to assist you in making your cookies, and then sit back and enjoy all of the laughing and discussion that ensues.
Exchanging fortune cookies brings people together
Nothing draws us closer together than baked food. Whether you baked the fortune cookies yourself or not, it’s wonderful to see the person you pass them off to smile.
We can exchange creative messages
These enticing pastries generally contain an appropriately vague clairvoyant message within, which usually promises the receiver good health, luck, or riches. It’s always wonderful to be assured of good things to come.
How to Celebrate National Fortune Cookie Day
There are numerous ways of marking National Fortune Cookie Day. Try out these ideas for inspiration:
Enjoy Fortune Cookies at a Restaurant
Perhaps the most obvious way to celebrate the day is to treat friends or family to a delicious Chinese meal, with the final course consisting of a plate of Fortune Cookies. It’s not necessarily a tradition that originates from China, of course, but it’s certainly a tradition of eating at American-Chinese establishments. So go ahead and enjoy it!
Surprise Friends with Fortune Cookies
Why not buy some Fortune Cookies as a pleasant surprise for colleagues or friends? Or forge a friendship with new neighbors by arriving at their doorstep with a basket full of fortune cookies, which is a delightful change of pace from the usual.
Try Making Fortune Cookies
Making fortune cookies at home can be fun not only for those who like to bake, but also for those who enjoy calligraphy and coming up with creative messages for friends and family!
The cookies can be a bit fussy to make, but the list of ingredients is fairly simple, with most recipes including egg whites, vanilla extract, cinnamon, flour, sugar and water. They’re fairly easy to bake, just work quickly to form them as they’ll tend to harden into shape within 30 seconds of being removed from the oven!
Indulge in Virtual Fortune Cookies
For those who might be watching their weight and worried about the calories in these snacks, it is always possible to go online to find virtual Fortune Cookies which will give a hint about the future destiny–without actually needing to eat the cookie!
NATIONAL FORTUNE COOKIE DAY FAQS
What does it mean to get two fortune cookies?
If there is no fortune in a fortune cookie, it is a sign that something good will happen to you soon —because fortune-cookie-fairy owes you one fortune. If you get two fortunes in one cookie, they cancel each other out. The fortune from the next cookie is the one you will receive.
Are fortune cookies vegan?
The majority of fortune cookies on the market are vegan-friendly and all are dairy-free.
Are there any rules for a fortune cookie?
The directions on the wrapper are simple: first, open the package, then use both hands to break open the fortune cookie. Finally, obtain the fortune and read it before eating the cookie.
