Signature cookies, a product of East-meets-West, were born in foreign Chinese restaurants, and after more than a decade of accumulation, they have become a calling card for Chinese restaurants and Chinese cuisine. Though small in size, the deep meaning attached to the signature cake reflects the wisdom and fraternity of Chinese culture in a euphemistic way, which is very popular among western diners.

Signature cakes are sweet and crunchy Yuanbao-shaped snacks, baked in golden or apricot color, with strips of paper printed with words of wisdom and good fortune hidden inside the hollow core, which are then gently broken open to reveal a signature printed in English and Chinese.

It may come as a surprise that everyone in the U.S. thinks of "sign language cake" as an authentic Chinese specialty, but this cute little snack does represent the mystery of China and its unique Chinese wisdom in a place far away from China. The half-inch wide by one-inch long strips sometimes contain a prophecy, sometimes a quote, and more often than not a peculiar phrase with a vague meaning that often happens to strike a chord in the heart of the diner.