MINI BELIEVE IT OR NOT –

The real origin of the Fortune Cookie is somewhat disputed. Most theories say the fortune cookies started in California, not China.

  • One claim is that the fortune cookie was started in San Francisco by Makoto Hagiwara at the Japanese Tea Garden
  • Seiichi Kito, the founder of Fugetsu-do in Little Tokyo in LA also claims to have invented the cookie
  • In 1983, the San Francisco Court of Historical Review heard a case claiming that David Jung of Los Angeles invented it
  • Fortune Cookies started being mass produced when the fortune cookie machine was invented by Shuck Yee from Oakland, CA

MINI BION

“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.