Why Certain Foods Taste Better as Next Day Leftovers

Tom Blank of Weird History Food dove deep into into the history of leftovers, noting that day-old food became popular in the United States during the Great Depression when food was scarce and then afterwards when food was bountiful once again. Encouraging the practice of doggie bags" were the invention of the refrigerator and later, the microwave which gave people the option to store and reheat their leftovers.

The ability to save food for later changed everything and by the mid-twentieth century portion sizes had ballooned; especially in postwar America, where abundance itself became a cultural flex...then, in the 1970s, a revolution happened...We're talking about the rise of the microwave oven. It's old hat now, but at the time, the microwave seemed like a miracle device from a futuristic wonderland because it turned leftovers into fast food.

Blank addressed why certain foods actually taste better the next day.

So why do some foods actually taste better the next day? Well, as it turns out, your fridge is less of a graveyard and more of a laboratory.

He further explains the scientific reasons for this wonderful phenomenon.

The first big factor is flavor melding. Overnight, ingredients don't just sit together they interact. Spices migrate, proteins break down, and starches absorb sauces ....Then there's starch retrogradation, a very science-y way of saying that starch molecules in pasta, rice, and bread reorganize once they've cooled down. Instead of being mushy, the texture firms up in a way our brains interpret as more satisfying.

Pizza gets its own category in terms of tasting better the next day.

Take pizza, which sits way at the top of the leftover food chain. Cold, reheated, eaten standing in front of the fridge at three A-M - somehow the flavors mellow and blend in a way that makes it almost better than when it was fresh. And that's such a universally acknowledged truth that actual scientists have devoted their time to studying why.

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The post Why Certain Foods Taste Better as Next Day Leftovers was originally published on Laughing Squid.