Fortune Cookies
Tibetan fortune cookies? (well…divination dough balls)
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008Nate Barksdale remembered of his Let’s Go India researchers wrote in his report on Dharamsala back in 1998 — to wit, that one of the Dalai Lama’s lesser-known tools of statecraft involves choosing between balls of dough that had little notes hidden inside. (fortune cookie-ish yes?)
There’s even an explanation from the Tibetan government-in-exile:
Varieties of Divination:
i) […]
Mao, made out of hundreds of fortune cookies
Monday, April 21st, 2008
Benjamin Wallace (author of the forthcoming book The Billionaire’s Vinegar) passed me this amazing artwork by Robert Deckey (his artist brother-in-law who apparently doesn’t have a Web site that I can dig out) — a portrait of Mao Zedong made out of hundreds of fortune cookies.
Here is some promotional information from his 2007 collection. (Don’t […]
Fortune cookie presents, some of them actually made in China
Saturday, April 19th, 2008Many people have sent me fortune-cookie themed presents and cards to congratulate me on the book. Here are some of them pictured here. (I especially like the jewelish-encrusted one). Some of them were even engraved. All came with a special fortune inside
What amused me. Fortune cookies made not be made in China. But fortune cookie
mementos […]
Unfortunate Cookies (the rejects)
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008Tsue Chong company (which makes rose-brand fortune cookies) in Seattle sells bags of rejected fortune cookies for like $7.25 a pop. These are the fortune cookies that go by too quickly to be folded (think Lucy and Ethel in the candy factory) I was brought there by the MSG150 crew after lunch.
I thought the […]
Fortune cookies are not a “food’ (according to our federal government
Monday, March 31st, 2008
Fortune cookies are not necessarily food, at least, according to the federal government
The Nixon Library made these adorable custom-made fortune cookies to promote my talk on Saturday (above). But the library is part of the National Archives which is part of the federal government which is not allowed to give out “food” as presents (all […]
14k Fortune Cookie Jewelry (why?)
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008Sent to me by a coworker. A Rachel Leigh fortune cookie necklace, which is made of 14k gold, so this is not the cheap costume stuff. (Who is Rachel Leigh, I don’t know, but it’s these kinds of Web sites that make me feel like I should).
Just goes to prove how iconic fortune cookies are […]
Derek Shimoda’s The Killing of a Chinese Cookie
Thursday, March 20th, 2008Derek Shimoda’s documentary, The Killing of the Chinese Cookie, is playing in the International Asian American Film Festival. I convinced Derek to come with me to Japan to document the Japaneseness of the cookies when I heard he was working on a documentary. I have a funny story about when we first talked on the […]
The Library of Congress Flyer
Monday, March 17th, 2008I know, if I had my act together, I would have posted this before the event at the Library of Congress. But notice the iconic use of fortune cookies (which are more recognized in America than anywhere else)
Appearances, flyer, fortune cookies, Library of Congress, photo
Confucius say, you will be arrested today for something stupid
Monday, March 10th, 2008Police were able to arrest two robbery suspects in Tulsa, Oklahoma because they found matching fortune cookies from the robbed Chinese restaurant and in the crooks’ pockets, according to this Associated Press story.
The crooks loved fortune cookies so much, that not only did they take money they grabbed fortune cookies on their way out the […]
Wisconsin Public Radio on the origin of the fortune cookie
Saturday, March 8th, 2008Here is the mp3 of an interview I did on the origin of the fortune cookie on Wisconsin Public Radio a week ago, along with Eric Hagiwara, for their Friday food program. (I know. Delay. Book craziness. Why else am I catching up on blogging on a Saturday morning at 6 a.m.?!).
They liked me well […]
Introducing fortune cookies to China
Thursday, March 6th, 2008During my trip to China, I took along boxes of Wonton Food’s fortune cookies and gave them out to Chinese people along the way. This is a compilation of their reactions. (The people here are from Houyu, Kaifeng, Shenzhen and Changsha).
fortune cookies, quirky, Video
More Fortune Cookie Memoir: from Bill Stephens
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008I’ve become quite the magnet for fortune cookie tales both real and fictional. Bet you didn’t know there was a whole genre of fortune cookie writing, but there is.
Bill Stephens sent me an excerpt, chapter 25, for book proposal, ‘Uncorking & Forking: It’s Been a Good Life.’ www.billstephensbooks.com.”
Uncorking & Forking: It’s Been a […]
A meta-fortune cookie fortune
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008Barbara Brown sent this photo to me and a message: “Heard your intrview on NPR yesterday and wanted to share my favorite fortune ever. After a birthday dinner one year I opened my fortune cookie and read, ‘Ignore previous fortunes.’ I’ve never met anyone else who has gotten that fortune, nor do I want […]
Video: Watch fortune cookies being handmade in Japan
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
Here, on the New York Times site, is the video of fortune cookies being made in Japan that went with my article. I’m not sure why they only put some videos on YouTube (about 150 at last count). Sadly, they don’t give you the ability to embed it either in the blog.
fortune cookies, Video
Maybe cupid likes Chinese food too?
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008
Pink Valentine fortune cookies, now on sale for $4.97 for 50 instead of $7.95. Bargain! Perhaps you can also put them in Valentine’s takeout glitter boxes (also in pink and red), now slashed to $1.97 for a dozen.
fortune cookies, takeout glitter, valentine fortune cookie
Even Hallmark is getting naughty with its fortune cookies
Friday, January 25th, 2008
Timothy Layman sent this Hallmark Card link to me. For $4.99 you can get it personalized and mailed for you (no need to lick your own stamp!)
Outside: “You will have much success and happiness.”
Inside: “In bed. Happy Valentines Day.”
fortune cookies, hallmark, in bed, quirky, timothy layman
The long march of the fortune tea cake?
Monday, January 21st, 2008Barry Popik, a compiler of etymological origins and contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, has a nice compilation of early citations in newspapers for “fortune tea cakes,” “Chinese fortune cakes,” “fortune cakes” (some of the last one I dispute refer to the modern day fortune cookies because they seem more related to the French […]
The cover design for fortune cookies.
Thursday, January 17th, 2008I woke up the morning my fortune cookie story ran with emails from friends that were like “awesome layout” and “great design.” As I had waited until late for the story to go online and read it only online, I had no idea what they were talking about. I actually didn’t see the paper until […]
Fortune Cookies are really from Japan.
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008
So today I have a story in The New York Times that points, persuasively, that fortune cookies originate not from China, but from Japan. There is neat slideshow by Sylvia Rupani-Smith and video by Sean Patrick Farrell.
This was probably the most surprising outcome from the research of my book, and it is one of […]
How did Japanese fortune cookies end up in Chinese restaurants?
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008So how did Japanese fortune cookies end up in Chinese restaurants? That’s a bit of a mystery.
This is what we do know, based on interviews with fortune cookie makers and articles written around the time. Turns out it’s relatively easy to trace the path of fortune cookies back to World War II, when they were […]
What do you do with the fortunes you want to keep?
Sunday, January 13th, 2008So the biggest dilemma at the end of a Chinese meal: What do you do with a fortune cookie fortune you want to keep? Do you put it in your wallet? Do you tape it to your computer monitor or fridge? Do you collect them for a scrapbook project? Do yu stuff it […]
Holiday presents: fancy fortune cookies made in Willie Wonka-land
Thursday, December 20th, 2007So for my professional holiday presents (I don’t do personal presents generally, long Chinese story) I couldn’t resist ordering from Good Fortunes, which offers delicious special (and pricey) fortune cookies for all kinds of special occasions: Valentine’s Day, Hannukkah, Weddings, Mother’s Day, etc.
Anyway, here are the ones I gave out today. Above s their most […]
Fortune Cookie Christmas Ornaments! (And a Partridge in a Pear Tree)
Tuesday, December 18th, 2007From Etsy (venue to buy and sell all things homemade), we get porcelain fortune cookies, a set of six ornaments for $30 or a set of 12 non-ornaments for $38, by Yogagoat, aka as Amanda Ryznar.
As Yogagoat describes them:
Six of my porcelain fortune cookies, wired for hanging on your holiday tree. The wires can […]
Fortune Cookie Magic Eight Ball
Monday, December 17th, 2007My friend David gave me a magic fortune cookie eight ball last year, available for $9.99.
Some of its answers
Future sticky like rice,
You don’t wonton know
Answer sweet and sour
Don’t mock the cookie
Try the eggroll
Cookie busy - try later
Chinese food, David L. Hu, Fortune Cookie, fortune cookies, Magic EIght Ball
Fortune Cookie USB Drives from Valavo can save your memories (in bed)
Friday, December 7th, 2007I really feel like the photo says it all . But go to Valavo’s site for more info (comes in grden, red, and blue)
fortune cookies, quirky, USB Drives