Meet Veronica: The Heart and Hands Behind Por Suerte's Fortune Cookies

It was 2022 when everything began. A close friend asked Veronica to make cookies for her wedding dessert table. "I didn't want to do another chocolate chip cookie," she remembers. After going down a bit of a rabbit hole, she landed on fortune cookies as a way to add something more personal and unexpected to the celebration.

Guests loved them. Word spread. She found herself making more batches for people in her life. At the time, Veronica was still working in tech, so fortune cookies were "simply a creative outlet—something fun to surprise and delight the people I cared about."

Then came the unexpected layoff. But also—as it turned out—exactly the push she needed.

Veronica moved to Napa to attend the Culinary Institute of America at Copia. She rented a room near downtown Napa from a couple who worked in wine. One night, they watched her make a batch of fortune cookies. After tasting them, they purchased 80 cookies for a winery event.

"That moment really shifted things for me," Veronica says. "It was the first time I saw the potential for Por Suerte beyond a hobby."

After graduating from CIA, Veronica worked in local restaurants, but the fortune cookie idea kept calling to her. A close friend encouraged her to truly give it a chance. Still, launching a business felt intimidating. The idea had been living in her head for about a year before she finally took the leap.

On May 10th last year, Por Suerte was officially born.

She began with pop-ups over the summer and eventually secured a permanent spot at the Napa Farmers Market, where you can find her every Saturday. "It's been an incredible community, and I've met so many wonderful people through it—including Felicia," she shares, referring to our own Retail that led to this Valentine's collaboration/

For our Valentine's collaboration, Veronica created two flavors that showcase not just her technical skill, but her courage to push boundaries.

Champagne flavor: Built around a reduction made from Domaine Carneros sparkling wine, this flavor does something unexpected. "I really wanted people to still experience that classic feel of the bubbles when having sparkling wine," Veronica says. So she incorporates unflavored carbonated candy—think Pop Rocks—to create that popping sensation. "You get a crunchy texture with the cookie, and then right after feel the candy activate and pop in your mouth." A touch of edible gold dust adds the final celebratory flourish.

Porcini & White Truffle Salt flavor: "This flavor usually has people looking at me strangely," Veronica admits, "because the thought of mushrooms being in a cookie might seem a bit intimidating at first. But I love playing with sweet and savory flavors and pushing myself creatively with reimagining what a fortune cookie can be."

She uses porcini powder sourced from a local Napa business, made from 100% ground porcini mushrooms, finished with a light sprinkle of white truffle salt just before baking. "I think these two flavors really complement each other, and the bit of sweetness in the batter brings everything together."

What makes Por Suerte truly special isn't just that everything is handcrafted—it's the intention behind every single detail.
"For farmers markets and pop-ups, I always start with the setting and the season," Veronica explains. "I like the fortune to feel like it belongs exactly where it's being opened." Every element is customizable—the message, the color, icons, small design touches. "I try to have fun with it!"

But here's what touched us most: in a world where it would be easy to automate or outsource, Veronica keeps the fortune-writing process completely human.

"I'm intentional about keeping this part of the process human. I make everything else by hand, so I feel the fortune deserves the same level of care and thought. Rather than relying on AI, I write them myself, often treating it like a small creative exercise. If I ever need a little extra inspiration, a glass of wine usually helps get the ideas flowing."

When we asked Veronica about her vision for Por Suerte, her answer was simple but profound: "My goal is to continue growing Por Suerte while challenging myself creatively—exploring how fortune cookies can be reimagined through flavor, format, and experience."

We're grateful to have connected with Veronica and her beautiful work. Find her at the Napa Farmers Market every Saturday.

Por Suerte—Spanish for "by luck" or "luckily." Sometimes the most beautiful things in life come from the unexpected turns, the moments when we're brave enough to fold our fears into something new, and trust that we'll land exactly where we're meant to be.