Many people believe that leftover food, like curry or stew, tastes even better the day after it is cooked. Now, scientists in Australia have tested this popular kitchen idea in a laboratory to see if it is really true.
Russell Keast, a food scientist and former chef at Deakin University in Melbourne, wanted to study this common belief. He and his team first asked people to choose foods that they thought tasted better the next day. The top choices were butter chicken, beef lasagne, dhal, and apple crumble.
Next, 65 volunteers took part in a blind taste test. They ate freshly prepared meals alongside day-old meals that had been kept in the fridge. The researchers controlled everything in the test, including the recipes, ingredient batches, and reheating methods.
The test showed that people could notice changes in some foods after a night in the fridge. More than 80 percent of volunteers tasted a difference in the day-old dhal. People could also tell the difference in butter chicken and apple crumble, but they could not tell the difference in lasagne.
When asked which version they preferred, about 64 percent of the volunteers liked the day-old butter chicken better. For the other three foods, the preferences were split almost fifty-fifty. However, none of the day-old foods tasted worse than the fresh versions.
Scientists explain that complex, sauce-based foods are the most likely to change overnight. When left in the fridge, spices, fats, proteins, and flavor compounds have time to blend together more completely.
Psychology also plays an important role. Expecting leftovers to taste richer can actually make the eating experience feel better. In addition, scientists note that having a ready-to-eat meal without the effort of cooking makes any dish taste more enjoyable.