I’ve noticed this seems to be true of all homemade lasagna; it tastes pretty good the day you make it, but if you save some in the fridge and heat it up the next day it tastes better.
I made lasagna last night, and if I may toot my own horn, my lasagna is so good you’d step on your own mother to get some. But as good as it was last night, the leftover lasagna I had for lunch today was even better. This is true of my lasagna, or lasagnas my wife makes, the lasagnas my mother made, EVERYONE’S lasagna. But not store bought stuff, which always tastes like poop.
Is there a culinary explanation for this phenomenon?
Homemade chili is always better the next day as well…
I make a no-meat chili that is always at its best after a day or two in the fridge. Its great the day its made, and even better after all the spices have time to soak into the beans.
I think it’s a couple of things. Firstly, flavours become more concentrated as things dry out, and the texture of the food can change for the better too. Dishes such as lasagne can be a bit gloopy and runny. Give them a day to dry out and firm up, and they improve no end.
Secondly, things start to, well, rot. At a certain point that becomes unpleasant, but before that point it can actually enhance the flavours.
I agree with all of the above, and proposition that leftover turkey dinners are far superior to the original meal. My theory for that is by the time you’re done making stuffing, cleaning and stuffing the bird, peeling and chopping potatoes, carrots, and turnip, making gravy, etc. you’re pooched from all the activity.
The next day you simply scoop stuff onto a plate and nuke for a few minutes. And man, it tastes better because all the work has already been done, and the clean up is insignificant. That’s why it tastes better the next day.
I also think it has to do with the sensitivity of your nose. If something like lasagna has been cooking all day (or at least for a couple of hours), then the smell has had a chance to get everywhere. You adapt to background smells and filter them out to some degree. Since your nose provides a lot of supplementary information regarding taste, that would tend to dull the flavor. The next day, after everything has aired out, your nose is more responsive to the smell and you perceive a better flavor.
However, I think that’s only a partial explanation. My family’s expression is that the ingredients are “getting acquainted.” It seems like almost anything slow cooked - stew, lasagna, soup, chili, etc. are improved after sitting overnight. When I make chili, I get it going in the morning, let it sit all afternoon and then warm it up before dinner.
I would basically agree with this. First, there’s an element of the flavors having more time to meld together. Second, there’s a textural change (especially with meats in stews). Third, there’s, as you mention, the concentrating of flavors that happens if moisture is allowed to evaporate (i.e. not left in a sealed container.) Pretty much any slow-cooked food benefits from an overnight stay in the fridge.
I have the same thing happen with my lasagna (homemade spinach pasta, bechamel, and bolognese layers) and, for me, I think it’s perhaps a little more to do with flavors concentrating due to evaporation than to flavors “marrying” over time.
Hot Damn! Leftover curry for me tomorrow! Mmmmmmm… I just moved into a house that has carpet, our old house had wood floors and would stink of curry for about 3 days. I am wondering how long it will last with carpet.
I also put a coupla meatloaves in the freezer for later. America’s Test Kitchen recipe that is fantastic and, ooooh wonderful as a leftover.
My take on this is that when you cook something and eat it youre generally eating it at a much higher temperature than you would with something that was cold and warmed up. Tomato sauces taste better when theyre a bit cooler and have congealed some. This is also why a lot of pizzas tastes better cold.
I don’t think that’s it. On occasion, I’ve been a guest where someone else has done all the prep, and I’ve waltzed in just half an hour or so before the meal. I’ve also eaten turkey dinners at restaurants, and again I haven’t exerted myself nor have I been exposed to the aromas. I think that turkey dinner is good, but leftover turkey the next day is FANTASTIC, and it’s not just because I was smelling the roasting turkey and exhausted from making it on the first day.
My father has always said that the mingling of flavors was called “marrying”, so that’s what I’ve always called it.
I always thought it was something to do with the fat in meat congealing on the surface a bit. I love me some tater tot casserole, but the next day its just soooooooo much better.
Yes, I think you’re right. I understand that in Greek cuisine, for example, the practice is to cook food slowly, then let it cool for quite some time, hours even, before eating it. Piping hot food is too hot for you to appreciate the flavours. And, as you suggest, when we reheat yesterday’s food, we often just give it a cursory warming.
Another possible reason is the role of your sense of smell - which is an important component of taste.
When food is cooking, it gives off all sorts of interesting aromas. But these tend to desensitize the noses of those in the vicinity of the kitchen, which can result in reduced appreciation of the taste when at last the meal is served. Reheated food has less chance to do this, so can taste better.
That essentially sums it up; as the food matriculates chemical and compositional changes occur, and the congealing of sauces allows them to cling better to pasta or meats, getting a more thorough mixing of flavors. This is especially true of a dish like lasagna or other ‘wet’ casseroles.
