National Fortune Cookie Day – July 20, 2026

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.