fortune cookie (food)

A fortune cookie is a crisp and sugary cookie wafer made from flour, sugar, vanilla, and sesame seed oil with a piece of paper inside, a "fortune", an aphorism, or a vague prophecy. The message inside may also include a Chinese phrase with translation or a list of lucky numbers used by some as lottery numbers.

Fortune cookies are mostly served at Chinese restaurants in the US, Canada, Australia and other English speaking nations with a Chinese diaspora. Ironically, Fortune cookies were not made in China but were invented by Japanese immigrants who moved to America during the early 20th century and became associated with the Chinese after they took over production when Japanese-Americans were sent to internment camps during World War II.