I never thought Fortune Cookies were Chinese.
They were always written in English, never in Chinese. Our friends had their own Fortune Cookie factory near Chinatown. I even toured in it.
Jennifer 8 Lee has now written a book called The Fortune Cookie Chronicles. She writes how so-called North American “Chinese food” is really not Chinese at all – but Mainstream American.
Lee exposes all the myths about North American Chinese food, myths that Chinese-Canadians and Chinese-Americans have known for generations – but White Americans are just learning about. Geez… first the Easter Bunny, then Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, and now Fortune Cookies!
Check out this article “How the fortune cookie crumbles” by Nina Lalli.
http://www.salon.com/mwt/food/eat_drink/2008/03/11/fortune_cookie_chronicles/index.html?source=rss&aim=/mwt/food/eat_drink