Food

National Chinese Almond Cookie Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Cookies

Almonds and good luck beckon National Chinese Almond Cookie Day celebrations on April 9. The golden cookie, sometimes with special designs and, other times, plain, delivers scrumptiousness in its crunch and almond flavors. Also known as Chinese almond moon cakes, the cookies are traditionally made during Chinese New Year as they are believed to bring good luck to households. You can get special designs on your moon cakes by pressing the dough into a mold. But not having any designs on your cookies does not make them any less special or tasty. While it is unclear when exactly Chinese almond cookies were brought to the American shores, there are no mentions of it before the 1800s or the 1900s.

The background of National Chinese Almond Cookie Day

Chinese almond cookies do not appear to have a set origin date or place. Some sources say that they have been adapted from the Chinese walnut cookies, which were invented in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty. At first, the walnut cookies were considered a royal dish, however, as the years went by and the recipe was released to the public, the cookies were so popular and loved by everyone that they became quite common around the area. People adored the cookie so much that they considered it the national cookie.

Chinese almond cookies, which are native to southern- and southeastern China, were introduced in the U.S. after the first wave of Chinese immigrants came to the country. Thus, like fortune cookies and other popular Chinese dishes, Chinese almond cookies also became much desired by the masses. The cookie is made with a mixture of almond and mung powder. It also has an almond sliver in the middle, and it is believed that good luck comes from this piece.

Today, said cookies can be found in many Chinese restaurants and hotels. Due to its plain and subtly sweet taste, it is served as a palate cleanser after a meal of rich spices and flavors. The cookies can be found being sold in food stalls in Macao and Hong Kong. There are also several flavors of almond cookies, some with cultural twists. The Chinese almond cookie has a Turkish cousin called ‘acıbadem kurabiyesi,’ meaning bitter almond cookie. No matter the type, Chinese almond cookies are enjoyed by many all over the world.

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5 FACTS ABOUT COOKIES THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND

Cookies were accidentally invented by Persians in the seventh century when bakers were testing oven temperatures by dropping small amounts of cake batter into them.

The word, ‘cookie,’ is derived from the Dutch’s ‘koekjes,’ which means ‘little cakes.’

English women used to eat gingerbread cookies to find good husbands.

The Cookie Monster from Sesame Street actually ate rice cakes painted like cookies because using real cookies would have damaged his plushy mouth.

We celebrate National Sugar Cookie Day on July 9 every year.