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Miscellaneous Monday: What’s Your Fortune?

Amanda Barber

July 20th was National Fortune Cookie Day! 🥠

According to Wikipedia,

“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 and/or a list of lucky numbers used by some as lottery numbers. Fortune cookies are often served as a dessert in Chinese restaurants in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries, but they are not Chinese in origin. The exact origin of fortune cookies is unclear, though various immigrant groups in California claim to have popularized them in the early 20th century. They most likely originated from cookies made by Japanese immigrants to the United States in the late 19th or early 20th century. The Japanese version did not have the Chinese lucky numbers and were eaten with tea.”

I had no idea about the origins of these cookies (which are truly almost crackers!) While I’m not a huge fan of these for eating, we always enjoy reading the fortunes inside. Fun tidbit: a fortune cookie is actually how my husband proposed. We just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary, so it was a pretty lucky fortune indeed! Here are a few of the other fortunes that my family got (and the one I received.)

We had custom fortune cookies for the guests at our wedding and then used them to tell our parents we were expecting our first child. Fortune cookies hold a special place in my heart and memories, even if they’re not my favorite treat!

I’d love to hear about your favorite fortunes or special dessert memories! If you’re not in the US, do you have anything like fortune cookies where you live?

Comments

Avery_6xay6u

Oh, I didn't know that fortune cookies came from Japan too. This is quite interesting! Regarding taste, they are not my preferred snack either but what I enjoy most is the tradition and amusement of reading messages inside them. Also, it's very unique that a fortune cookie had such an impact in your life - congratulations on reaching 15 years of marriage! Your tale is touching.

In our family, we once received a fortune that said, "You are about to start a new adventure" and this happened just before we moved to another city. It felt like some magic because it enhanced the thrill of relocating.

Ananjan_miniOrange

Belated Fortune Cookie Day wishes to everyone! 🎊

Though we don't have fortune cookies here, we mark special occasions by having and distributing sweets. My special dessert memory involves celebrating my first motorbike purchase with Jalebi and Rabdi (a classic Indian sweet)

This is a lovely post, and happy anniversary @Amanda Barber ! 🥳

John Funk

Thanks @Amanda Barber !

I think fortune cookies are a great way to top off a Chinese meal. Though they are not the most flavorful, I always eat them. 😊 And they are definitely much better with a cup of hot tea.

Amanda Barber

What a perfect fortune! Thank you for sharing, @Avery 😍

Amanda Barber

Jalebi looks like something my kids would love! What a unique looking treat. Thanks for sharing, @Ananjan_miniOrange 😊

Amanda Barber

They are a good treat to accompany tea, @John Funk

The slight sweetness works well for that! 🍵

Andy Gladstone

Wow! I love that you shared that tidbit about your proposal! Did the two of you enjoy eating a lot of Chinese Food together when you were dating, or was it an entirely random detail in the proposal?

I'm with you @Amanda Barber, not a big fan of the consumption of fortune cookies - but always ready to crack one open after a meal at a Chinese restaurant. I don't have any memorable fortunes that I can recall, but I have a colleague who must have 100+ fortunes decorating her cubicle.

My proposal + special dessert memory is from the night I proposed to my wife, over 25 years ago. I was a nervous wreck and kept getting up to go to the restroom to check that I had not lost the ring (it was in a box in my jacket pocket). I'm always a dessert eater, but I was so nervous I barely had an appetite for dinner, let alone dessert. But if I didn't order dessert it would have been a giveaway that something was up. So I ordered a slice of chocolate lava cake to share between the two of us, and we played with it more than ate it. I was relieved when the meal was over and paid for since that was the last thing I needed to do leading up to the proposal. Spoiler alert, she said yes!

Amanda Barber

Honestly, generally speaking, Chinese food wasn't a big part of our early relationship, but hibachi was a common choice for special meals. We went out for hibachi for my birthday when the proposal happened, so I guess it was related to that!

Love your dessert/proposal memory, @Andy Gladstone - 25 years - WOW! Goals! 🤩

Shawn Doyle - ReleaseTEAM

I don't dislike fortune cookies, however, I question if they should be considered cookies.

I like when they have funny fortunes, rather than vague predictions.

While not a funny story, I had a colleague years ago who not only insisted all fortunes be read aloud at the table, but each person must add, the "in bed" at the end. He then further made things weird by explaining why this was funny. It wasn't.

Amanda Barber

LOL, @Shawn Doyle - ReleaseTEAM - we had friends who always added "in bed" to the fortunes. Sometimes the jokes landed, sometimes...not so much.

Barbara Szczesniak

@Shawn Doyle - ReleaseTEAM I also had colleagues who insisted on this "tradition"—always awkward with coworkers (especially if the boss was there). Were yours in Southern California too?

I always open the cookie and read the fortune. If it has a good snap when I break it, I will probably also eat it. I don't like the stale, bendy ones.

Amanda Barber

Loving all these comments!

Fortune cookie meme ENJOY! : r/Mario

Shawn Doyle - ReleaseTEAM

Not in southern CA, but in the Silicon Valley.

Susan Waldrip

How sweet, @Amanda Barber , that's a wonderful story! Sending you best (albeit belated) wishes for your next 15 years! 🥳

Amanda Barber

Thank you, @Susan Waldrip 💜

Vronik

Hi @Amanda Barber

I have tried them in other countries but in Spain where I live it is not a tradition, I admit that they entertain me and when I go to an Asian restaurant that serves them I do not miss the opportunity to open one, I find it an interesting experience that inside a cookie that you select At random something may come out that comes true or not.

Your story is beautiful and I love that you have used something so simple for things as wonderful as important dates that leave a mark on your life and your family.

Long live fortune cookies

Regards

Summer Hogan_q8imea

Great topic @Amanda Barber and I love your story! I learned so much from you about fortune cookies. I really like fortune cookies, but mostly the fun in reading them; not eating them. The best fortunes I have ever received in my life were the fortune cookies at TAO in Las Vegas at the Community Leader Awards Dinner at Team '24. See the pic below for a good laugh!

Susan Waldrip

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Amanda Barber

LOL! 😂

Susan Waldrip

My best special dessert memory is when I was on a work trip to Japan in the early 90s and a family that was good friends with one of my colleagues opened their home to us on my birthday and made a huge Japanese meal complete with a beautiful birthday cake. It was so special that they did this for someone they didn't even know, but they were very kind and wanted to do something for my birthday since I was "away from home". It was wonderful!

Amanda Barber

Wow, that sounds so wonderful! What wonderful hosts. 💜

ABR

Hi, @ananjan_mishra,

As an Indian I so relate to what you said! We usually celebrate with sweets too. Although, cakes are fast becoming a popular dessert or confectionary, specially in urban India; nothing beats traditional sweets or their fusion counterparts!

@Amanda Barber it was interesting reading about fortune cookies, I've known about them since long but I'm yet to experience the thrill of it!

ABR

Hey, @Summer Hogan ,

hahahaha! This is probably the funniest post in this thread!

ABR

Hi, @Susan Waldrip ,

That's the sweetest thing, when perfect strangers become friends with heartwarming gestures that create wonderful memories! Beautiful!

David Taylor_kwz0dk

Honestly, I never tried buying a fortune cookie. I always wanted to try it! hahaha

Sandra Franchetto

👍 to your Husband. That's a great idea.

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