Fortune Cookies ...

Joachim
 November 18, 2007, 10:08 PM posted in General Discussion

As can be read <a href="http://www.chcp.org/fortune.html">here</a>, fortune cookies are no Chinese invention or at least weren't invented in China. Chop suey is another thing not heard of in China. There are some other items deemed typically Chinese by Westerners which can not be found in China or which are pronounced in a way that Chinese won't have a clue what you are talking about, e.g. Mahjong.

How about making a list of mistaken identities/ origins?

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bazza
 November 19, 2007, 12:35 AM

mahjong isn't much different to (麻将) májiàng.

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Joachim
 November 19, 2007, 05:21 AM

Bazza: Yeah, that's similar to Western ears like Hongkong and 香港 , but I drew a blank when talking about Mahjong with some Chinese.

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goulnik
 November 19, 2007, 06:27 AM

Joachim, you're talking about two different things. The Western pronunciation in the case of Mahjong, the thing itself in the case of fortune cookies - as I'm sure you know, Mahjong / 麻将 (májiàng) is a very popular game amongst Chinese, much as card games. Fortune cookies are almost like pizza then, all Italy had by way of pizza was thin bread crust cover with onion or tomatoe (and parts of South Eastern France), none of the margarita and such complex toppings until it was re-invented and imported back from the US

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monicaperfectdai
 November 19, 2007, 08:00 AM

good!

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Joachim
 November 24, 2007, 10:26 PM

goulniky: Ok, I slightly mixed up issues of pronunciation and of origin/ identity. I wanted to discuss Western misconceptions of things Chinese etc. I'd like to add something of Chinese origin that for most people is typically Japanese: Go [围棋 wéiqí in Chinese].