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When you think of small or large fortune cookies, you think Chinese food, right? In actuality, the fortune cookie is not an import from Chinese culture at all. It’s actually an American invention. There are various theories as to how the fortune cookie came on the scene. But most people can agree that California was the birthplace of the now famous cookie.

One version of the story says that David Jung, an immigrant from China living in Los Angeles, created the cookie. He was the owner of the Hong Kong Noodle Company and had a heart for the poor. In 1918 he invented the cookie to hand out to the poor around his business. He tucked a bible verse inside each cookie to inspire the recipients. And so, the cookie came to be a staple of the Los Angeles Chinatown scene.

Still another version tells of a man named Makoto Hagiwara. He was the famed designer of the Japanese Tea Garden at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Being Japanese himself, he suffered under anti-Japanese politics of 1914 and was fired from his job. When he was finally rehired, he created the cookie with a statement of thanks inside for those who had supported him during his time of isolation. He gave them out at the Japanese Tea Garden. Later, in 1915 they were served at the World’s Fair, held in San Francisco.

Who can say which story is true? Californians still debate the origin of the cookie that has become a fixture in all Chinese restaurants in America. Both Los Angeles and San Francisco want to claim it as their own invention.

Regardless of the birthplace, the fortune cookie has thrived. Since Chinese restaurants typically do not serve dessert, the cookie was given out at the end of the meal so that Americans could have a little something sweet.

Fortunes have included everything from wacky sayings to advice from sage thinkers to lottery numbers. Today’s fortunes are looked upon as light and often zany advice that makes people laugh. But who can resist sharing their fortune with others at the table? Many people even save their fortunes as a secret wish that what’s written on it will come true.

It’s said that you should not select your own fortune cookie when they arrive at the table. Someone at the table should hand you one. When you open it, you should read it aloud.

Many people have jumped on the fortune cookie trend and are now having custom fortune cookies made. They’re showing up in every size and flavor you can imagine at weddings, corporate events and family reunions. Personalized fortunes are all the rage and companies will now insert whatever you’d like to say inside a fortune cookie. You can get them dipped in chocolate and sprinkles and just about any candy coating you can think of.

Does anyone actually like the taste of a fortune cookie? It might be hard to find someone who does. The cookies are bland and often stale, but they are alluring and mystical all the same. Most people tear open the wrapping and crack the cookie open. They grab the fortune and eagerly read it to find out just what sort of luck they can expect in the future. It’s a fun end to a fine meal.

Did you know that there is a National Fortune Cookie Day? It's True!

Origami, or paper folding, has always been an art form in Asian cultures. Some of the loveliest and most intricate paper sculptures have come out of Asia. If you’d like to try your hand at paper folding by making your own paper fortune cookies, you can easily do it. It might seem a little daunting at first, but it’s actually quite simple.

If you’re having an Asian themed party or just a night in with Chinese take out, you can create pretty custom fortune cookies from decorative paper.

All you really need is paper and glue and some ribbon if you choose to use it. What could be simpler? It’s just as easy as reading a few simple directions or watching the video toward the bottom of this page!

First, gather up some decorative paper. Chinatowns are great places to find ornate rice papers that you can use to make large fortune cookies. If you live near one, you’re fortunate. If not, you can find attractive papers at a craft store in the origami section. Or just use wrapping paper or anything you have at home. And don’t feel like you have to stick to beige. Go wild and make red, yellow, green, or printed paper cookies.

Cut out a circle the size of the cookie you want to make. Take a bowl and trace around it for a perfect circle. The plastic lid off a Chinese soup container also works well.

Once you have traced your circle and cut it out, you’ll begin the simple folding. Turn the paper so the pretty side is facing down against the table. This will ensure it is on the outer side of your cookie, the one that shows. Take one side of the circle and bring it over to the other side. Make a light crease. There’s no need to fold it down with a hard crease. In fact, that will ruin the shape of your cookie. A gentle fold is all you need. Put a dab of glue there along the edge of the circle where they meet.

Next, fold down the two sides of the circle so they meet in a crescent shape. Place a dab of glue there where they meet. Glue dots (available in craft or stationery stores) are perfect for this job because they stick instantly on the exact spot you want with no drying time.

Voila! You have created a fortune cookie. Now the fun is putting your fortune in. You can cut another piece of the same paper in a strip for the fortune, or use ribbon or another type of paper in a contrasting color.

Search the web for fortune cookie sayings or make up your own. Write a happy birthday message or add in a surprise fortune. Write your fortune in ink on the strip. Stick the strip inside one end of the cookie so it appears to be coming out. You can glue it in, or you can leave it as is.

What took you about one minute to make will look like you spent all night making. Impress your guests and make fun take-home favors for your next party. Light up some Chinese lanterns and set out a table of Chinese food and you’ve got an instant good time!

How to Make Your Own:

Want to make your own but not from paper? Try this recipe for how to make your own fortune cookies.

You can enjoy fortune cookies at home at any time if you make them yourself. You don’t have to wait to go to a Chinese restaurant when it’s this easy to bake them at home. Have confidence in your abilities. A few simple folds will create this complicated-looking cookie!

Here is the ingredient list from About.com listing exactly what you will need:

Fortune Cookies

2 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 teaspoons water

Those are pretty standard ingredients for any fortune cookie recipe. You can also add flavors like chocolate or orange, but let’s stick to the basics for now.

Our instructions here simplify the process for you. Start out by preheating your oven to 300 degrees. Generously grease two standard cookie sheets.

Cut strips of paper about ½ inch wide to fit inside the cookies. Use any paper you like, but thin paper is best. Write funny or interesting messages on them. You can write Happy Birthday or Congratulations or any message to celebrate an important event. You have to have your fortunes ready before the cookies come out of the oven. The key to getting your fortune inside the cookie is to work while the cookie is hot and still pliable.

Beat the egg white, vanilla, almond extract and oil in a bowl until bubbles start to form.
Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar into another bowl. Gently pour the liquid mixture, a little at a time, into the flour mixture. Stir just until all ingredients are mixed. Don’t over mix as the batter will toughen. It will be thin so that it can be poured easily.

Use a standard tablespoon to pour individual cookie batter circles onto the baking sheet. Leave a few inches between them as they will spread. Tap the baking sheet a few times to get the batter to level off. Your circles should end up being about four inches across when the batter has settled.

Every oven is different. Start checking your cookies at 12 minutes and bake no longer than 15 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven when they are not hard or crisp, but just baked enough to remove off the sheet with a spatula. This step is crucial as you are going to fold the cookie quickly. If it’s over or underdone, the cookie won’t fold properly.

Quickly flip the cookie onto your hand. It will be hot, so use cotton gloves if you have them. Grab a fortune and lay it down onto the center of the cookie. Quickly fold the cookie in half then pinch the edges together to form that classic fortune cookie shape. Experts differ on what you should do next. Some say you should immediately place the cookie on a solid base like the edge of a drinking glass or over a wooden spoon. Others say you can just place it down on the counter.  Setting them in a cupcake pan also helps them keep their shape while they cool. These cookies harden so fast that you’ll want to have thought out your strategy beforehand. Try it all ways and see which works best for you. Don’t get discouraged if your first batch doesn’t turn out perfectly. It’s going to take some practice, but you’ll get the hang of it.

If you want to try something different, you can dip your cooled fortune cookies in melted chocolate for a gourmet treat!

The fortune cookie is a mysterious and entertaining cookie. Unlike any other cookie, this little folded beauty holds a pearl of wisdom. People eagerly crack them open to reveal their future. Never has a cookie had so much power!

Today fortune cookies are popping up everywhere!  You can find fortune cookie party favors for weddings and birthdays, or logo fortune cookies for corporate events and trade shows. You can order them with just about any saying you like inside. There are companies devoted to nothing but custom fortune cookies. You choose the saying and the flavor and the accents. Go with a chocolate fortune cookie with sprinkles or a vanilla fortune cookie with coconut and white chocolate. And, of course, you can always still get the traditional original flavor.

In addition to the pint sized version of the fortune cookie, you can also order them in a jumbo size. Have a special saying put inside like, “Will you marry me, Kate?” or “Guess who’s expecting twins?” Fortune cookies of the grandiose kind are prefect for making announcements that are just as big. Play around with wording and think about fun situations where you could present someone a giant treat. Boss’s day is a great time to thank him with a big cookie dipped in chocolate. Write the words, “Thanks to the best boss. From your staff.”

What are some other things you might say on your custom cookie? Here are some ideas:

For Weddings

• Grow old with me, the best is yet to be.
• Don and Martha October 12, 2011
• Thank you for joining us at our wedding.
• When you love someone, all of your saved up wishes start coming true.
• True love forever…Kate and John 10/12/2010
• Couples who love each other tell each other a thousand things without talking.
• Today is the first day of the rest of our lives.
• When we meet, you fill my eyes; When we part you fill my heart.
• Only you can make my heart crumble…
• You will spend the rest of your life with the man (or girl) of your dreams.
• Roses are red, violets are blue, I am so happy that I love you!
• It is your good fortune to share life’s special moments with the one you love.

For Corporate of Business

• Your company’s logo
• A raffle prize drawing number
• An inspirational quote
• Your company’s tagline
• "You always pass failure on the way to success."-Mickey Rooney
• "You've achieved success in your field when you don't know whether what you're doing is work or play."-Warren Beatty
• "Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it."-Henry David Thoreau

For Birthdays

• “At 20 years of age the will reigns; at 30 the wit; and at 40 the judgment.” - Ben Franklin
• “Live as long as you may. The first twenty years are the longest half of your life.” - Robert Southey
• “Everything I know I learned after I was thirty.” Georges Clemenceau
• “After 30, a body has a mind of its own.” Bette Midler
• “Thirty five is a very attractive age;London society is full of women who have of their ownfree choice remained thirty-five for years.” Oscar Wilde
• “Life begins at forty.” W. B. Pitkin
• “Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age.” - French Proverb
• “Looking fifty is great--if you're sixty.” Joan Rivers

If you live in the Midwest or Northeast like I do, you know that the warm summer months are clearly behind us and it seems that winter has settled in....even though it is only October.  The cool temperatures mean that we can now ship our chocolate-covered treats such as our giant fortune cookies and our tins of Belgian chocolate-dipped Oreos using standard shipping (instead of air-shipping).  This translates into big savings so be sure to stop by and check out our delectable chocolate-covered goodies today!

Consistently rated 5 out of 5 stars by our customers, this giant fortune cookie features a football-sized crisp vanilla fortune cookie that our artisans dip in a rich caramel and Heath toffee bits.  Then they add a lovely pattern created with fine milk Belgian chocolate.  Add your own custom message to the foot-long fortune that we tuck inside. No matter what the occasion, this gift is a winner!