Japanese Cookies

Cookies in Japan are a relatively new occurrence. This can be seen in terms of how cookie is written in Japanese--クッキー (or kukki), a transliteration of the English word cookie.

Interestingly, the fortune cookie, so prevalent in Chinese restaurants, has its roots in San Francisco in the early 1900's where a Japanese man, Makoto Hagiwara, first served them at Golden Gate Park's Japanese Tea Garden. They were derived from o-mikuji, or fortunes, made in Japan.

With its generally small size and Western appeal, its become pretty big in Japan, revealing itself in forms that are uniquely Japanese. Here's a listing of some of the tops ones available:

Chocolate Pocky