The Chinese Restaurant Dessert That Came Before Fortune Cookies

When people think of Chinese restaurants, one of the first things that comes to mind is fortune cookies. While these are definitely fun little treats, there's actually a complex history behind these Chinese-American cookies. Fortune cookies aren't the only after-dinner treat in Chinese-American history, either.

Meet the almond cookie — a flat, circular cookie characterized by its crispy texture and single almond placed on top for decoration. This cookie actually predates the fortune cookie by several decades. Almond cookies were invented in the 1920s by Chinese immigrants in New York City.

Much like the myths about MSG in Chinese food, the concept that fortune cookies are the one-and-only Chinese restaurant dessert is also a myth. Unlike fortune cookies, which are made primarily by one company, almond cookies are made by all kinds of bakeries and restaurants around the world. You don't necessarily have to go to a restaurant to try out these delicious almond cookies for yourself.

Chinese almond cookies were invented at the Nom Wah Tea Parlor, which opened in 1920 in New York City. This restaurant and bakery also happens to be the oldest of its kind in New York City. The owners of the restaurant, both of which were Chinese immigrants, invented the almond cookie together.

These cookies were invented in a bid to appeal more to the American palette, and it worked; customers quickly became fond of the cookie's strong but not overly sweet almond flavor and light, crunchy texture. The bakery was eventually bought out by a neighboring restaurant, but the public had already developed a taste for the almond cookies. Many customers requested the cookies, resulting in the treat outlasting the location in which it was born.

Some believe these almond cookies are a spin on an older Chinese walnut cookie recipe known as Hup Toh Soh, which dates back to the 16th century. Regardless of whether the almond cookies are an entirely original recipe or a spin on an old classic, they have since become widely popular, particularly around Chinese New Year due to the recipe's association with luck. The round shape resembles old coins, and almonds are said to be lucky.