Interesting Things to Know
Fortune cookies didn’t come from China
The minute you munch the last noodle in the chow mein, you are ready for the final act of Chinese dining, at least in Western-style. That’s right: It’s time for the fortune cookie.
We know what we are getting: A little piece of wisdom, some lucky numbers, maybe even a Chinese word.
But as you might suspect, we really aren’t getting something authentically Chinese.
The origin of the fortune cookie is disputed, but most stories say it is an import — not from China, but from 19th century Japan. Jennifer Lee, the author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, writes that as early as 1870, confectionery shops in Kyoto carried a folded cracker with a fortune: Tsujiura senbei, or fortune cracker. It was larger and darker than today’s fortune cookies.
By the early 1900s, the fortune cookie had come to the U.S. along with Japanese immigrants. The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is usually cited as the origin of the first American fortune cookie. But at least three other immigrant businesses in Los Angeles also claim to have introduced it to the States.
But it was American food preferences that moved the fortune cookie to Chinese restaurants. Americans didn’t much like raw fish, a common feature in Japanese cuisine. So Japanese immigrants started Chinese restaurants and brought the fortune cookie with them.
Today, the largest fortune cookie maker in the world is Wonton Food, which makes more than four million cookies each day. An estimated three billion cookies are produced annually, according to history.com.
Spanberger Signs Bipartisan School-Safety, Student Support Bills Into Law
Melanie J. Pomeroy (1958 – 2026)
David Benjamin Heller (1990 – 2026)
1776 Wasn’t Just About Independence
Three-Tiered System for Urban Agriculture Based on Lot Size Takes Shape at Town Planning Commission Work Session
Child Abuse Awareness Month Brings Focus to Reporting, Prevention in Warren County
National Dental Hygienists Week: Is Your Oral Care Routine Optimal?
The Coin That Traveled Through Time and Space
One “What If?” Question Is Changing the Future of Farming
AA Speaker to Explain Recovery Program at United Methodist Men’s Dinner
Jeannette M. Hyland (1944 – 2026)
Allen William Derflinger II (1959 – 2026)
Warehouse Clerk: A High-Demand Job—Even With Robots
FDA Cracking Down on Compounded GLP-1 Drugs
“Christmas in April” or Overspending? Budget Draws Criticism
Court Ruling Voids Prince William Data Center Rezoning, Raising Stakes for Local Debate
Spanberger Signs First Bills Targeting Healthcare, Housing and Energy Costs
Blue Ridge Singers Spring Concerts to Showcase Powerful Blend of Voices and Brass
What Counts as “Good Policy” Depends on Who’s in Power
Planned Parenthood Presses Virginia to Restore State Funding for Contraception Program
Weapon Offenses Rise on Virginia University Campuses
Trump Steps In to Pay TSA Workers as Congress Remains Stalled
Escaping the ‘Captivity of Activity’ by Making Time to Rest
Why Wearing a Bike Helmet Matters
