A
fortune cookie is a crisp
cookie usually made from
flour,
sugar,
vanilla, and
sesame seed oil with a piece of paper, a "fortune", on which is an
aphorism, or a vague
prophecy. The message inside may also include a
Chinese phrase with translation and/or a list of lucky numbers used by some as
lottery numbers, some of which have become actual winning numbers. Fortune cookies are often served as a dessert in
Chinese restaurants in the United States and some other countries, but are absent in
China. The exact origin of fortune cookies is unclear, though various immigrant groups in
California claim to have popularized them in the early 20th century.