“It’s raining outside, I feel like eating some comfort food!”

Do you find yourself thinking something similar when it’s raining outside? Or do you just always end up feeling hungrier when you stay at home because of the weather?

Don’t worry, in fact, that hungry feeling is completely normal and there’s a scientific reason behind it! During cold weather we lose a lot of body heat. Of course we get the energy from the food that we eat and that’s why you might end up feeling hungrier! Your body needs to burn more energy to keep its temperature up.

 Who likes to eat when it’s raining outside? The staff of TokyoTreat definitely do! ＼(≧▽≦)／ Rainy days mean eating a lot throughout the day in the TokyoTreat office! That’s why we’ve written about 10 Japanese snacks to bundle up with on a rainy day!

1. Cup Noodle

This is our number one snack on a rainy day! Especially the noodle soup! Cold weather + hot soup + (cuddling up with a blanket if you are at home) = perfect combination. Our current favorite one is this Sapporo Rich Miso Ramen!

2. Chocolate Pudding 

Eating chocolate is never wrong! We usually crave something chocolatey when it’s raining. This petite chocolate pudding is one of our favorite chocolate snacks to nibble on.

3. Takoyaki

Takoyaki is a ball-shaped Japanese snack or appetizer made of wheat flour and is typically filled with minced or diced octopus (tako). Freshly cooked and still hot takoyaki is perfect for cold weather!

4. Oden

Oden is a go-to snack for anyone in Japan, especially when the weather is cold and rainy! You can easily buy oden at some street vendor or at most convenience stores as well. This dish has a variety of ingredients such as egg, tofu, konnyaku yam cake, daikon radish, and fish cake that’s cooked in a soy sauce based broth. Oden is served hot, that’s why it’s also a perfect snack on a rainy day.

5. Zoni (Mochi Soup)

You may not know that in Japan, mochi can be served in soup too! It’s called zoni and it’s strongly associated with the Japanese New Year and the tradition of osechi ceremonial foods. But, of course you can make it yourself if you’re craving for hot mochi soup! See the recipe here. 

6. Yakiimo

You may have seen this snack from Crayon Shinchan. Shin-chan bought this snack for his Mother and then liked to buy this sweet potato snack from the yakiimo truck every time! TokyoTreat staff also like to buy this from the yakiimo truck seller near our office building, especially on cloudy days!

7. Nikuman 

Hot steamed buns are also perfect for rainy days! Nikuman are usually filled with meat and finely chopped vegetables. We can eat it up to 3 buns! How many nikuman do you think you can eat in one go?

8. Ginger Tea (Shogayu)

Sometimes we catch a cold or even worse, the flu when it’s rainy season.  One of the natural remedies is shogayu, which is the Japanese version of ginger tea. The spiciness of the ginger helps raise the body temperature and makes us feel warm from inside. It can also make our throat feel less sore!

9. Taiyaki

This fish shaped cake is perfect for cold and hot weather. When it’s hot outside, you can eat taiyaki filled with ice cream, but if it’s cold, you can eat custard or red bean filling while it’s piping hot! Our favorite is the red bean filling one!

10. Hot Tea

Are you a calorie watcher? We recommend that you drink hot beverages instead like hot tea or even just water with lemon which will warm you up and keep you feeling full. No guilt guaranteed! 

Do you still remember the Lipton Sakura Tea from the May box? We still drink it even though it’s not spring anymore! You can get it here too!

One thing to remember, please try not to overeat if possible! You have to snack with moderation. Aside from gaining weight, you might give yourself stomach ache! 

We hope Which one from the list above is your most favorite snacks to bundle up with on a rainy day? We want to hear your favorite comfort food as well! You can write your recommendation in the comment box below!

Which one from the list above is your favorite snack to bundle up with on a rainy day? We want to hear your favorite comfort foods as well! You can write your recommendation in the comments below!

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