From DiscoverNikkei.org

Fortune cookies

Despite the popular perception that fortune cookies are a Chinese (or Chinese American) invention, research in Japan and the United States strongly indicates that the modern fortune cookie is a Japanese American adaptation of a traditional Japanese sweet, tsujiura senbei ("fortune cracker"). Its first appearances in the United States occur in the early 20th century in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Gary Ono, a descendant of the founder of Benkyodo Company, one of first Japanese confectioners in San Francisco, writes about his research into the history of the fortune cookie. He has also contributed documentation of the kata (griddles) and production methods to Nikkei Album.
Lee, a reporter for the New York Times, describes the historical evidence indicating that the fortune cookie derived from Japanese models. Her blog is the precursor to a book of the same title, published in February 2008.
Includes audio, video, and graphics related to the history and production of fortune cookies.
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