Click the cookie and it snaps open, sliding out the slip with your fortune on it. Over a hundred different messages, each one written to be read out loud – a small break in the middle of the day.
The story behind the fortune cookie
Fortune cookies are associated with Chinese restaurants but were most likely invented in California in the early twentieth century, modelled on Japanese cookies that carried paper slips. In China itself the tradition is essentially unknown.
The point has always been the same: a short, positive message open enough to read into your own situation – and funnier still when you read it out to the table.
Getting the most out of a fortune
The messages are written to be broad enough to fit most people but specific enough to start a thought. Plenty of people use one to open the day, to round off a meal, or as a conversation starter in a group.
You can copy your fortune and pass it on to somebody who needs it more than you do.
Frequently asked questions
- How many fortunes are there?
- Over a hundred different messages. One is drawn at random each time you crack a cookie.
- Can I get the same fortune twice?
- Yes, every draw is independent, so a message can come round again.
