Although served in nearly every Chinese restaurant in America, the fortune cookie is not a Chinese invention. It is actually a descendant of a Japanese temple cracker called 'Tsujiura Senbei.' These Japanese crackers were larger, browner, and flavored with miso and sesame rather than the vanilla and butter used in the American version. The modern fortune cookie was popularized in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the early 20th century by Japanese immigrants like Makoto Hagiwara. During World War II, when Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps, Chinese entrepreneurs took over the production of the cookies, which solidified their association with Chinese cuisine in the American mind. Today, approximately 3 billion fortune cookies are produced annually.