Food Can Bridge The Cultural Divide

I stumbled across an article this past weekend that debunks the history behind the typical ending to a meal at almost any Chinese restaurant- the fortune cookie. The most interesting finding discussed was that contrary to popular belief, the fortune cookie actually comes from Japan, and not China. This is why you will never see a fortune cookie served in a restaurant in Beijing or Shanghai.

The cultural migration of the cookie actually happened here in the U.S., beginning on the West Coast when Japanese immigrants started serving the cookies in their restaurants, many of which happened to serve Chinese style cuisine. This got me thinking just how foods can travel across geographies, seamlessly adapting and in some cases transforming into something culturally unique and distinctive, yet continuing to possess strikingly similar characteristics to their counterparts around the world. Some examples:

samosa (India)
empanada (Spain, Portugal, the Caribbean, Latin American and the Philippines)
croquette (Netherlands)

ravioli (Italy)
wonton (China)
pierogie (Poland)

noodles (China and other Asian countries)
pasta (Italy)

gyro (Greece)
taco (Mexico)

Proof that food just may be the ultimate unifier. I've posted the article on the history of the fortune cookie, "Solving a Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside a Cookie" to the blog- check it out!