Where Did the Fortune Cookie Come From?
According to an article in The New York Times called “Solving a Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside a Cookie,” the cookie’s origins can be traced back to Japan. The evidence, uncovered by researcher Yasuko Nakamachi, lies in a picture in a book dated to the 19th century. The illustration depicts a man, probably an apprentice, grilling wafers in the way that it is believed original fortune cookies were made. Signs in the background and conpleted cookies next to the apprentice indicate that he is making fortune cookies. Researchers have traced the location of these cookies back to the Hyotanyama Inari shrine outside of present-day Kyoto, Japan. However, some believe that fortune cookies predate Nakamachi’s research. According to the Library of Congress, some researchers believe that the cookies date back to 14th century China and were inspired by Chinese citizens rebelling against Mongol invaders. A Taoist priest used Chinese moon cakes, pasteries stuffed with a paste made from lotus seed
