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Just wondering

Fortune cookies are reputed to have originated either from the Chinese communities of San Francisco or Los Angeles. One story is that the origins were actually manifested in cookies that were served at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and pirated by a local Chinese restaurant. The other story is that they were created by a Chinese noodle maker in Los Angeles as a marketing gimmick.

Today, they are actually exported to the Far East rather than the other way around. So I guess you could say that the fortune cookie is about as Chinese as chop suey (also an American invention, to get rid of scraps.)

Thanks, that is in fact what I was wondering... around here, even some Thai restaurants give them out. So Confucius doesn't spread his wisdom at every meal in China? That doesn't really surprise me. Have people heard of them in Europe?

It would be cool if they added a Chinese MRE -- maybe a chicken fried rice -- and put a fortune cookie in there with it

Well, they did just add the Fried Rice side. I say they should bring back the Pork Chow Mein and throw in the Fried Rice!

Chow Mein is another one of those inaccurately named dishes that have been cast upon the American public. In processed foods, and in many older cookbooks, it is represented as a sauce with vegetables that may also include meat. In more cases than not (especially with processed foods,) it is probably closer to what one might call Chop Suey.

The process of "chowing" is what we know as stir-fry, and "mein" is the Chinese word for noodles. So Chow Mein is actually stir-fried noodles (so those crispy concoctions that come out of a can actually carry a redundant name when they're called "chow mein noodles".)

kman wrote:Well, they did just add the Fried Rice side. I say they should bring back the Pork Chow Mein and throw in the Fried Rice!

Hi,
I've never seen those cookies in France and a few years ago I used to go to the Chinese restaurant about 5 times a week!
I didn't see them in London, no more in Stuttgart, no fortune cookies in Lomé (Togo) ...in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Tunisia, Morocco, Ukraine ... I only tried local food.

I had one in ...Dallas

RoastBeastFan wrote:

Constant grinding WILL turn an iron rod...

RoastBeastFan wrote: Have people heard of them in Europe?

What?! Fortune cookies ?

I'll have to eat Chinese today, so I'll have a cookie to document for those who have never seen them

They're kind of an American item that is often associated with Chinese restaurants. Here's a picture of them from http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/cu ... ookie.html

Stef wrote:Hi,
I've never seen those cookies in France and a few years ago I used to go to the Chinese restaurant about 5 times a week!
I didn't see them in London, no more in Stuttgart, no fortune cookies in Lomé (Togo) ...in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Tunisia, Morocco, Ukraine ... I only tried local food.

I had one in ...Dallas

MCIera wrote:Fortune cookies are reputed to have originated either from the Chinese communities of San Francisco or Los Angeles. One story is that the origins were actually manifested in cookies that were served at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and pirated by a local Chinese restaurant. The other story is that they were created by a Chinese noodle maker in Los Angeles as a marketing gimmick.

Today, they are actually exported to the Far East rather than the other way around. So I guess you could say that the fortune cookie is about as Chinese as chop suey (also an American invention, to get rid of scraps.)

I found a another source...
http://www.sweetandlucky.de/geschichte_1.htm

(Babelfishtranslation)

The legend tells that in 13. Century in China a poor prince and the daughter of the powerful ruler into one another falls in love was. This however wanted to marry its beautiful daughter with the prince of the neighbour realm, in order to unite both countries. It asked therefore his daughter the prince again to see and sent these into a city in its realm, removed far.

Over always in contact to remain to be able invented the two fell in love however a ruse, it sent themselves your messages in-baked into small cakes and planned so, without that possibly someone something noticed, successfully their common escape, and so they could live lucky and contently together.

They are familiar in Europa also (available in almost every supermarket, next to soja sauce)