For many centuries the Chinese have marked special occasions and festival times such as New Year with the giving and receiving of Moon Cakes, made from Lotus Nut Paste. The inspiration for Fortune Cookies came from the 13th and 14th centuries when the Mongols occupied China. When plans were made in Peking for a popular uprising to oust the invaders, much thought was given to how the news of the date of the uprising could be circulated without alerting the Mongols. The story goes that the Mongols had no taste for Lotus Nut Paste and so the Chinese hid instructions to coordinate the uprising inside the Moon Cakes, this tactic worked and the basis of the Ming Dynasty was formed. Thus the tradition of giving cakes with messages was born and became a popular way of expressing wishes of good fortune on an important occasion.