Talk2008

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food

Library Of Congress. Center For The Book

History

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About

Who writes those little messages in fortune cookies and how do fortune cookie makers get their lucky numbers? For that matter, where did fortune cookies originate - should the U.S., China or Japan claim credit? Did General Tso cook his own chicken, and why was there a lawsuit over who invented chop suey? If our benchmark for Americanness is apple pie, why do so many Americans eat Chinese food far more often than they eat apple pie? The answers to these and other fascinating questions was explored by Jennifer 8. Lee (her middle name connotes "prosperity" in Chinese), as she discussed her recent book "The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food." Lee is a New York Times reporter. In 2005, she set out to research a story on the unusually large number of Powerball Lottery winners who obtained their lucky numbers through fortune cookies. Lee crisscrossed the country to explore the winners' stories and where they had obtained their cookies. This research, in turn, led to explorations of Chinese restaurants, their owners and workers, the commonality of the menus across the country, the iconic white takeout cartons, soy-sauce packets, cookies and other aspects of the Chinese food industry.

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Rights statement at the Library of Congress, as the Library of Congress states it.
Credit
Library of Congress
Language
English
Country
United States
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