Speaking with CNET in 2017, the code's designer, Simon Whiteley, revealed that the now-famous green code (also known as "digital rain" among fans) was inspired by one of his Japanese wife's cookbooks.

Fans may remember code from the opening scene of 'The Matrix.' What they likely don't know is that it's text from Japanese cookbooks.

Without that code, there is no Matrix.” Advertisement The recipes in questions actually came from his wife’s cookbooks, he’d scanned them for the codes to make up the falling rain.

“Without that code, there is no Matrix.” Now we really want to know if there is a complete sushi recipe somewhere in the coding of the Matrix. This is a fun little story, but what if that’s ...

The mystery to The Matrix code has been solved. The creator of the neon green digital rain, Simon Whiteley, told CNet the code was inspired by nothing more than his wife's Japanese sushi recipe.