Book Review: The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

At Paradise Fine Chinese Dining Restaurant (but, I think they reserve it for children and likely non-Asians)

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles
Author: Jennifer 8 Lee

Interesting!  I said that a few times throughout the book.  This book is more than it lets on, you think you are just reading about how fortune cookies came to be associated with Chinese food in America by the title, but this book goes into so much more.

The dish General Tso's (or Tao's) Chicken and how it became famous is also in this book which was the actual impetus for my choosing the book to read (this book was published back in 2008). Taiwanvore highlighted the documentary "The Search for General Tso" that came out in 2014 and thus, I was motivated to read the book. (Thanks!)  It's actually funny, the first time I ever had General Tso Chicken was in my twenties at a Malaysian restuarant in New York's Chinatown, lol!  I actually really liked it and when I came back to Toronto, it wasn't the same and wasn't as good so I've never really wanted to order it again.  There is definitely so many versions of the dish now, it was interesting to read how the original dish was supposed to be made.

I know some information about the migration of Chinese people to North America as my own family history in Canada dates quite far back. But, Lee goes into quite a bit of depth on the migration into America, more than I expected.  There is actually quite a bit of info on human smuggling into America as well.  And, if you've every wondered (like I have) why in remote towns there always seems to be a Chinese restaurant, you get your answer here. 

Part of the book also delves into the question,"Where is the best Chinese restaurant in the world?" and Lee takes us on her journey to answer this question. People will definitely argue over this and also argue over the fact that there is no such thing as "the best Chinese restaurant in the world".  But, it was interesting to read and I'm happy to say that out of the restaurants she presented, I came up with the same answer she did :)

What I particularly liked...

- The depth she went into on the fortune cookie and on General Tso's chicken
- How she ended the book: a look at who writes the fortune cookie messages and how they come up with the messages.

Parts that you may wonder why they were included...

- Although I enjoyed reading all chapters of the book, I can see others maybe thinking that there are a few chapters that were nice to know but weren't as connected.  The book includes topics such as: why Chinese food is popular with Jewish people, why Chinese delivery men are so vulnerable where "homicide is a leading cause of on-the-job deaths", and the soy sauce trade dispute where soy sauce could contain ingredients that don't include soy.  To me, they added an extra element to the book as it goes beyond the food itself and highlights aspects of Chinese food that we don't often think about.  I'm really being nit-picky at this point because I do think Lee knows her stuff. I'd really have no comments and just would happily soak up the information and be in awe of the work that went into putting the book together!


It's funny, there are some similarities to Canadianized Chinese food but also trends that didn't take off like the characteristic take-out boxes in America that are not used here.  I remember a long time again, they were used but it didn't last. 

Overall, a great non-fiction read for those interested in North American Chinese food on a more social and historical perspective; I'd definitely recommend!  It's going in my book collection.  Even after reading it, I think I'll refer to it for the historical info and can always share with others.