Which comfort food would you pick to warm up on a rainy day?

Comfort food isn't really about nutrition — it's about nostalgia and that satisfying, heartiness that reminds people of home cooking or childhood. Researchers who study this say the appeal is as much psychological as it is about taste: warm, carb-heavy, familiar dishes trigger genuine feel-good responses. These three are some of the most-craved comfort foods worldwide, each rooted in a different culinary tradition — Italian, Japanese, and American. On a cold, rainy day, which one would actually get you off the couch?

🖼️ Bigger images

𝗕 Bold text

Pizza — an Italian classic that traces back to 16th-century Naples, where flatbread was topped with tomato, cheese, and oil for working-class families. Today it's one of the most popular foods on Earth, with endless regional styles from thin-crust Neapolitan to deep-dish Chicago, and it's the ultimate customizable comfort food — everyone gets their own toppings.

Ramen — a Japanese-Chinese fusion noodle dish built on Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a hot broth, usually soy sauce or miso-based, with toppings like sliced pork, nori, bamboo shoots, and scallions. It became a comfort-food staple in Japan after World War II and has since exploded into a global phenomenon with entire restaurants devoted to perfecting a single bowl.

Macaroni and cheese — known simply as "mac and cheese," a baked or stovetop dish of pasta smothered in cheese sauce, with roots tracing back to medieval English and Italian cheese-and-pasta casseroles. It became an American household staple in the mid-20th century thanks to boxed packaged mixes, and it's still one of the most-requested childhood comfort foods for adults today.

Optional photo for your new option. Take one or choose from your device. Shown as a 200 x 200 pixel thumbnail, cropped from the centre.

✨ Vote to reveal a bonus tea Easter egg!

Submit Anonymous