Why Some Leftovers Really Do Taste Better the Next Day, According to Science
If you grew up with a grandma who promised that dinner would taste even better the next day, you might have instinctively known she was right. However, there’s also that takeout that, after just a few hours in the fridge, seems to absorb all the unwanted fridge flavors. So what’s really going on?
Taste Test Insights
Researchers at Deakin University in Australia put the age-old question of leftovers to the test. In a recent study, 65 adults tasted four popular dishes known for supposedly improving overnight: beef lasagna, butter chicken, dhal, and apple crumble. Some were freshly prepared, while others were reheated from the day before, with participants blind-tasting the samples.
Interestingly, butter chicken emerged as the star of the taste test, winning over the day-old version nearly 64% of the time. While tasters could distinguish fresh dhal and apple crumble from their reheated counterparts, they didn’t show a strong preference for either. Lasagna, in contrast, garnered mixed reviews.
Lead author Russell Keast, a sensory scientist with culinary training, shared insight on why some dishes seem to taste better after resting. “You have a takeaway curry one night, then eat the leftovers for breakfast the next morning, and somehow it seems even better.”
The Science Behind Leftover Flavor
The study focused on people’s preferences rather than the chemical changes in the food. One prevailing theory is that spices and aromatics tend to mellow overnight, making flavors less sharp and more balanced, as noted by food scientist Kantha Shelke. This could explain why some dishes taste more harmonious the next day.
On the flip side, reheated meats can sometimes develop a phenomenon known as “warmed-over flavor,” which results in a stale, cardboard-like taste due to the oxidation of fats. The researchers suggest that the sauce in butter chicken might help conceal some of these off-putting flavors. Furthermore, starchy dishes like pasta and rice can firm up overnight, which may be why lasagna didn’t shine in this study.
The phenomenon of “cooks’ fatigue” may also play a role. After lengthy hours of cooking and continuous tasting, your palate may become desensitized. Enjoying the same dish the next day offers a fresh experience, possibly making it more pleasurable.
In summary, while there’s some science backing the idea that leftovers can taste better, this doesn’t apply uniformly to all dishes.
