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SatJul 20

National Fortune Cookie Day – July 20, 2024

On National Fortune Cookie Day, celebrated on July 20, we picture you enjoying a crunchy, sweet delicacy! Every year, Americans commemorate the cookie that is a staple of Chinese take-out. These crisp, folded biscuits have a buttery flavor to them. When you open them, you’ll discover a piece of paper with a message nestled inside. The phrase will range from profound wisdom to hard puzzles to basic common sense. Some fortunes incorporate quotations from well-known thinkers. Every year, about three billion fortune cookies are created and consumed by ecstatic admirers. It’s time for everyone to enjoy this great occasion, National Fortune Cookie Day!

History of National Fortune Cookie Day

Many Americans who dine at Chinese-themed restaurants in the United States receive a fortune cookie after their meal, which makes them identify this practice with Chinese culture. However, the origins of this delectable treat may be traced back to Kyoto, Japan in the 19th century before finding its way to American society in the 20th century.

Some Japanese candy shops began creating small crackers folded into shapes that allowed a message to be tucked inside the bend as early as the 1870s —not into the hollow area. These original crackers would have been darker in color and made with miso and sesame seeds, giving them a less sweet flavor than today’s fortune cookies.

When Japanese immigrants came to California and Hawaii in the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was thought that the fortune cookies of today’s American-Chinese restaurants were based on this notion.

Today, the majority of fortune cookies are consumed in the United States. “Wonton Food” in New York and “Yang’s Fortunes” in California are the major producers, with “Wonton Food” alone producing over four million each day. Fortune biscuits are prepared in the shape of a round disk. When they are still warm from the oven, a fortune is written on one side of the cookie, which is then folded over and squeezed together. The fortunes are little pieces of paper with advice or aphorisms written on them. They are frequently printed with lucky numbers or Chinese words. “Wanton Food” prints over 15,000 distinct fortunes. Fortune cookies are produced with simple components like such as flour, sesame seed oil, butter, vanilla, and sugar and have a bland, mild flavor. The promise of a fortune, however, has endeared these cookies to millions and has kept them tearing them open today and throughout the year.

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.

National Fortune Cookie Day Activities

  1. 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!

  2. 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.

  3. 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

  1. Invented in Japan

    According to historical sources, the original fortune cookie was developed in Japan.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Almost four million fortune cookies are created

    Every day, nearly four million cookies are produced and each of those biscuits contains its own fortune.

  5. 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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

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