Dear Reader,

It’s autumn, which means all of my favorite comfort foods are back in rotation - hearty stews, cozy soups, and warm, filling meals. The kind of food that makes you want to go back for seconds, with just enough room for something sweet (like a slice of pie) afterward.

Which all sounds lovely! But for a long time, enjoying these foods used to come with another thought not far behind:

“I’ve been eating so much lately. I need to get back on track.”

A Japanese perspective on embracing seasonal appetites

Growing up in the US, I had learned to treat my appetite as something to keep an eye on. A good week was a week I ate light, a bad week was a week I didn’t.

So when the weather got colder, the days got shorter, and I found myself craving more comfort food, I used to think that I needed to be more disciplined. Especially with the holidays coming up and the guilt around holiday food that tends to come with it (but that’s a topic that deserves its own newsletter), I couldn't let myself get "carried away".

But when I’m in Japan during this time of year, I notice people seem to embrace this shift in appetite rather than question it.

Supermarkets start displaying bags of freshly harvested rice near the entrance. Convenience stores bring out all kinds of chestnut desserts, and crisp fuji apples start making their way onto the table after dinner.

And of course, the sweet aroma of roasting sweet potatoes drifts through the streets.

Growing up, I remember on my commute home from school there was an old man who used to sell roasted sweet potatoes from a cart just outside the train station. You could hear the jingle before you saw him, like an ice cream truck.

He sold three sizes: small, medium, and large. Sometimes he'd have beniharuka, other times beniazuma, depending on what he'd found at the market that morning (who knew there were so many kinds of sweet potato?). I'd always ask him to pick out his best one for me.

I'd eat it straight from the bag, skin and all. No seasoning, just soft, sweet, and warm on a chilly day. Whatever I couldn't finish, I'd bring home for my family to share.

I stopped by a few times a week, sometimes right before dinner. And I don't remember ever thinking I was eating too much. It was simply something to look forward to when the weather got cold.

It's one of the things I appreciate about autumn in Japan. There's so much excitement around what you finally get to eat again.

We tell ourselves stories about the food we eat. Why not learn to tell kinder ones?

What strikes me is that the desire for comfort food is the same, only the story we create around it is different.

In one version, craving something warm, hearty, or filling feels like something to feel guilty about. In the other, it just means it's autumn.

I still sometimes catch myself thinking about what I've eaten and whether I've had too much. But when I notice that little voice worrying about calories, I now shift my attention: Instead of thinking about what I should eat less of, I ask myself what I'm looking forward to eating this season.

It’s a much nicer way to enjoy my meals, and ironically, I also feel less preoccupied with what I eat.

So this week, maybe pick one food you especially enjoy this time of year. Sit down, enjoy it, and let yourself appreciate how good it tastes without worrying about making up for it later.

Maybe your appetite isn't a discipline problem.

Maybe it's just October.

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Warmly,

Kaki

P.S. I’m curious - As the year winds down, what’s one part of your life where you keep telling yourself you need to ‘get back on track’?

Feel free to just reply to this email! I'm reading and responding to all of them this week and I'd love to hear from you ❤️

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