在美國攻讀碩士期間，每次與友人在中餐廳聚餐解鄉愁，飯後服務生總會送上一塊包著籤文的fortune cookie。令我百思不解的是：這種「幸運餅乾」在亞洲的華人餐廳根本不曾見過，為何在美國卻成中餐廳的標配？
圖片創作：Gemini
Fortune cookies, despite their omnipresence in Chinese-American restaurants, have origins that are surprisingly un-Chinese. These crisp, folded cookies were first created in California in the early 20th century—not by Chinese chefs, but likely by Japanese immigrants or Japanese-American confectioners.
儘管幸運餅乾在美國的中式餐廳中隨處可見，它的誕生卻與華人毫無關聯。這些酥脆的摺疊餅乾最初是在二十世紀初期在加州創造的——不是由華人廚師，而很可能是由日本移民或日裔美國糕點師所創造。
Historical accounts point to two key figures: Makoto Hagiwara, who served fortune cookies at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park around 1914, and Seiichi Kito, founder of Fugetsu-do confectionery in Los Angeles’s Little Tokyo. Their creations were inspired by traditional Japanese crackers known as tsujiura senbei, which contained paper fortunes tucked inside.
最具可信度的說法指向兩位人物：1914年左右，舊金山金門公園日本茶園的萩原真（Makoto Hagiwara）開始提供這種餅乾；而洛杉磯小東京風月堂的創辦人鬼頭精一（Seiichi Kito）也曾製作類似點心。這些早期版本源自日本的「辻占煎餅」，一種內含籤文的米製餅乾。
During World War II, the internment of Japanese-Americans disrupted their businesses. Chinese restaurateurs, seeing the appeal of the fortune cookie, adopted it as a novelty item. In the post-war boom, as Chinese restaurants proliferated across the U.S., fortune cookies became a staple—ironically, a “Chinese” tradition that’s virtually unknown in Taiwan or China.
二戰期間，日裔美國人遭到拘禁，許多原本由他們經營的糕點業中斷。中餐廳業者看準幸運餅乾的趣味性，開始引入此點心。隨著戰後中餐廳在美國迅速擴張，幸運餅乾也成為標誌性配角——諷刺的是，這項「中式」習俗在台灣或中國幾乎無人知曉。
The fortune cookie thus stands as a fascinating symbol of cultural fusion: invented by Japanese immigrants, embraced by Chinese-American entrepreneurs, and ultimately woven into the American dining experience. It’s a sweet reminder of how immigrant traditions can be reshaped, rebranded, and reimagined across borders.
幸運餅乾成為文化融合的絕妙象徵——由日本移民創造，中美企業家推廣，最後融入美國人的用餐習慣。這溫馨地提醒我們移民傳統如何能夠跨越邊界被重塑、再包裝，並重新定義。
圖片創作：Gemini
