If you’ve ever wondered how a Fortune Cookie is made, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that this treat is made in a factory. A small team of three part-time employees runs this operation. Their only requirement is that the cookies bake correctly. Then they must hand-fold them. Before they cool, the workers place a fortune slip inside. Then they must fold them again before they’re ready to be sold. This step is critical because a flat cookie is easier to crumble and, therefore, easier to eat with ice cream.
Alicia Wong’s family
Alicia Wong is the third generation to run the Fortune Cookie factory. Her mother Jiamin moved her family to Oakland in 1999 and Alicia was raised by her mother in the Chinatown area. Her mother used to buy her a broken fortune cookie after school to enjoy while she read her Chinese book. When the previous owner of the factory closed, Alicia and her mother decided to take over the business.
Alicia’s Cookies are dipped in Belgian chocolate and made with Chinese new year symbols. The flavors of the cookies are inspired by childhood favorites. Cookies include Pink Peppermint, Crushed Candy Cane, Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread Chocolate, and X-rated. Alicia’s Cookie Company makes custom-made cookies for family and corporate events. She even makes cookies for a celebrity’s birthday.
Makoto Hagiwara
The first known fortune cookie was created by a Japanese immigrant named Makoto Hagiwara in the San Francisco area in the mid-19th century. Makoto used senbei rice crackers as a medium for placing notes, which he folded by hand and then placed them in a container. He hoped to gain widespread popularity by creating a fortune cookie that reflected his personality.
The modern-day fortune cookie is typically made of flour, sugar, butter, and vanilla. It is believed that the first fortune cookie was manufactured in Japan and then brought to the United States by Japanese immigrants and Chinese merchants. The invention of fortune cookies is attributed to Makoto Hagiwara, a Japanese immigrant who was responsible for the construction of a Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco. The cookie is based on the Tsujiura Senbei, a traditional Japanese snack dating back to the nineteenth century.
David Jung
The story of the Fortune Cookie starts in 1918 when David Jung, a Chinese immigrant, established the Hong Kong Noodle Company in Los Angeles. He began passing out fortune cookies to people on the street. The cookies contained inspirational Bible verses that were written by David Jung’s Presbyterian minister. As the fortune cookie became popular in the United States, David Jung’s factory expanded and became a factory that produces them.
The invention of the fortune cookie is contested, with some saying the cookie originated in 19th century Japan. However, three different people claim credit for its invention. In 1918, David Jung, who had founded a Hong Kong Noodle Company in Los Angeles, claimed to have invented the cookie. His claim is that the cookies were originally intended to be given to homeless and beggars. Jung provided no proof of his claim to invent the cookie.
Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory
You can tour the Landmark Fortune Cookie Factory and see the artisans making their homemade treats. In the tiny, open kitchen, they prepare fortune cookies. And they’re a must-see for any San Francisco tourist. And you can even try one of their delicious desserts! Here’s a recipe for delicious fortune cookies:
Visit the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in Chinatown to learn about the history of these delicious treats. Though tours of the factory are free, they’re usually packed, so be prepared to wait in line. And don’t forget to tip the workers if you can. The owners are friendly, so tipping is highly encouraged. The factory is a family-owned business in the Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco. While you’re there, you can also explore San Francisco’s Chinatown district.
Ingredients
If you’ve ever wanted to bake a fortune cookie, you may wonder about its ingredients. Many cookbooks offer recipes for these cookies, which generally contain flour, sugar, water, and eggs. The recipe may also call for melted butter, vanilla extract, or almond extract. Some recipes also call for a bit of turmeric extract or peanut oil, while commercial manufacturers add a variety of other ingredients as well, including stabilizing agents and anti-caking agents.
Once you have all of the ingredients, mix them together until the batter is frothy, smooth, and free from clumps. Next, transfer the batter to a circular fortune cookie oven. The oven has shallow cups around seven inches in diameter. The pump will regulate the amount of flour to be added to the batter. Once the dough has reached a specific consistency, a flat metal plate is placed over the dough. When the oven is ready, the cookies will rotate through the oven.
Labor savings
There are some obvious labor savings when manufacturing Fortune Cookies in a factory. A factory with fewer employees will save the business a significant amount of money over a small-scale operation. This is especially true if all workers are part-time, such as those employed by the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company. Whether it’s the production line or the actual dough, a factory-made cookie will never taste as good as one made by hand.
There are three traditional iron machines in Chan’s tiny factory. Most fortunes are imported from just a few producers. Chan has since switched from wholesale to retail, keeping the factory open to tourists. The factory’s workers wear protective gloves when folding the cookies, as the cookies can shatter when they cool. Chan says he hasn’t lost a single customer to a competitor because he’s able to offer his customers a wider variety of flavors and sizes.
