On the Origins of the Fortune Cookie
Posted on January 17, 2008
Filed Under Aphorisms |
The New York Times ran an interesting article on the origins of the fortune cookie recently, “Solving a Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside a Cookie“. It details research that suggests the fortune cookie is a Japanese, not a Chinese, invention. The popularity of the fortune cookie as an after-dinner treat is relatively recent, dating back to around the beginning of the 20th century. But Yasuko Nakamachi, wo spent six years tracing the history of the snack, has found evidence that it originated in Japan in the late 19th century. Previous theories suggested a proto-fortune cookie was the “moon cake,” baked in China in the 14th century. Whatever the true origins, the fortunes inside the cookies are certainly changing with the times. Nakamachi recently found this one in Japan:
To ward off lower back pain or joint problems, undertake some at-home measures like yoga.
Surely a case of new age wisdom packaged in very old dough… The Times piece also contains some 500 reader comments answering the question, What is the most memorable fortune you’ve found in a fortune cookie?, including this one:
Your face is like a welcome mat.
and the ever-popular:
That was not really chicken…
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A contribution of my own:
One man’s translation is another man’s travesty.
When I first arrived to New york I had the good fortune to be in a show of abstract painting juried by Irving sandler and Claudia Gould at Artist’s Space in Soho. Between the artist’s discussion and the opening I had two tables of friends have dinner at a restaurant in Chinatown with me, and when the fortune cookies came around I opened mine and it said “A room full of pictures is a room full of thoughts.” That was so striking that just to make sure I had everyone pass me their Fortune Cookie slips which had the same handful of worn out & banal standards I’d been getting all my life. I pasted it into my journal, it really was worth keeping the evidence of that kind of coincidence.