Why does rain make us crave crispy fried food? Food science has a few answers

The rains have barely started and frying pans have already been summoned. Across India, the monsoon comes with its own menu — pakoras in the north, telebhajas in West Bengal, bhajiyas in Maharashtra and Gujarat, pazhampori in Kerala and bajji in Tamil Nadu. The ingredients change with the region, but the formula remains the same: coat, fry and serve hot.

Your brain remembers the rainy-day snack

Cravings can be conditioned by repeated associations. A meta-analysis of food-cue research found that exposure to food-related cues and the resulting cravings can influence eating behaviour. So if rainy afternoons have repeatedly meant hot pakoras, tea and time indoors, those familiar circumstances can eventually become cues that make the food particularly tempting.

Fried foods have an especially satisfying combination of a crisp exterior and soft interior, and sound plays a role in how we experience texture. Research has found that auditory cues can influence how people perceive the texture and pleasantness of food, making the characteristic crunch part of the eating experience.

Why fried food feels right in the rain

That sensory appeal has an interesting parallel in Korea. Jeon, savoury pancakes cooked in a thin layer of oil, are associated with rainy days, with one explanation cited by Korea's official cultural portal being that the sound of jeon frying resembles the sound of rainfall.

There is also something appealing about eating a hot snack while the surroundings are cool and wet. Yet controlled research on mild cold exposure found no increase in hunger or food intake. A 2024 study similarly found that cold conditions shifted preferences towards warm, high-fat foods without significantly changing overall energy intake.

Then there is familiarity. Research on comfort food suggests that its emotional effects depend heavily on the individual and the circumstances around eating it. A food associated with family, celebrations or particular seasons can therefore carry emotional significance beyond its ingredients.

So, does rain itself make us crave fried food? Science cannot quite make that leap. What it can explain is why a familiar rainy-day setting, combined with the sensory appeal of something hot and crisp, can make that craving agonisingly tempting.

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