Despite being an 'everyday' conclusion to a Chinese meal in the U.S., fortune cookies are not Chinese. They are based on a Japanese cracker called 'tsujiura senbei,' which contained paper fortunes tucked into the fold. These were served in Japanese tea houses in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the early 1900s. During World War II, when Japanese-Americans were forcibly relocated to internment camps, Chinese-American entrepreneurs began manufacturing the cookies to meet the demand from American soldiers. Because the cookies became associated with Chinese restaurants during this period, the misconception was born. Today, billions are produced annually, with the Wonton Food Company in Brooklyn being the world's largest manufacturer.