A true original - a trip to Kyoto

Pretty much every American that has inquired has been told that fortune cookies aren't really from China.  They are from San Francisco.  However, what if I told you, they actually originated from Japan?

There's tons of debate regarding who actually invented these beloved cookies, but 2 of the top 3 contenders of the potential inventors are Japanese people living in southern California in the early 1900s.  There is even an entire book about it by Jennifer 8. Lee, “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles”.  She concludes that the fortune cookie really is a Japanese concoction.  Don't you think it is strange that the majority are of Japanese dissent, not Chinese?  I do.  But that is beside the point.

While we were strolling around outside Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, my husband pointed out a small shop.  He said "That is where fortune cookies really come from!"  No way,  I thought.

What he said is actually true!  I did some research and learned that since the mid-1800's Japanese people have been eating tsujiura senbei (fortune crackers) or omikuji senbei (written fortune crackers).  There is even evidence of this in authenticated art from the time period! 

Souhonke Inariya looks very unassuming.  It is a small shop that has been run by the same family for 3 generations.  Inside was a man sitting behind a glass window making, what appeared to be, fortune cookies.  He placed some batter on a hot iron, closed the lid and put in into a fire.  He would then rotate all the irons on the fire and pull one out.  Once removed, he would open it revealing a round cookies, which he then formed into the iconic shape while simultaneously inserted a small piece of paper into the center. 

I would have taken photos, except for the large number of signs indicating no pictures told me I wasn't welcome to do so.  But I did find a video on their website - http://www.inariya-kyoto.com/about/ (halfway down the page - there are two videos that play on a loop, the second one show them making fortune cookies).

These fortune crackers are not the sweet cookies we eat at Chinese restaurants.  They are actually very thick and made with miso and sesame.  Another difference is in the fortunes.  They do not contain cute quotes or zen statements, instead they list off your luck rankings in several categories like love, health, business, and so forth.

We bought a bag of 5 and opened them outside the store.  My husband was excited to see that he got the "very good luck" fortune. 

Check out the fox imprint - the shrine's messenger.

My son and I both received "fair" rankings.  Well, as with any fortune cookie, how bad can our luck be when we get to enjoy a treat in a fantastic setting?  We will count ourselves lucky regardless what the paper says.