It seems the fortune cookie ubiquitous in Chinese restaurants in the U.S. is an invention, much like chop suey, egg foo young, and General Tso’s Chicken, that occurred in the U.S. Histories vary, but I can attest I never saw one in Hong Kong. Then again, I only ate at Chinese restaurants there.
Today I received a fortune cookie from The Saigon Cafe, a (decent and cheap!) Vietnamese restaurant, further evidence that the fortune cookie is more American than Asian. It said “Your winsome smile will be your sure protection.”
I don’t believe it.