Fortune cookies are delicious and fun. No dinner a Chinese restaurant would be the same without them. Have you ever wondered why these cookies a served in all Chinese restaurants? It is certainly not because people believe that they will be given good fortune.

Fortune cookies taste great, and they certainly are fun. You will see many people in the Chinese restaurant laughing at the end of the meal, while reading their “fortune”.

During the 13th of 14th-century the exchange of moon cakes was a way of celebrating the New Year. One cake was made with the use of lotus paste, and generally contained a cooked egg yolk in the center.

When the Chinese decided to overthrow the Mongols they wanted the date of their uprising to be a secret. This along with instructions as to where and when they should go were inserted into these moon cakes. The giving of these moon cakes, or fortune cookies became a traditional form of greeting and goodwill.

During the pioneer days, when the great railroads were being built in California, the fortune cookie was first introduced to the United States. It is well-known that people of Chinese descent, commonly worked on the building of this railway. This gave the American people the opportunity to learn about and enjoy some traditional Chinese customs, including the fortune cookie.

Today you can find designer fortune cookies which contain personalized messages. You may even find them in assorted flavors. You may even find Chinese restaurants which specialize serving these personalized messages.

The origin of fortune cookie is quite interesting. Enjoying them after a meal in a Chinese restaurant is a relatively new idea, but without them this bill would not be the same.

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