Episode 20: Why do leftovers sometimes taste better the next day?

It's Never JUST Food! · Sep 28, 2026 · 22m

Why does a curry, stew or pot of chili sometimes taste better the next day…while leftover fries are basically a punishment?

In this episode, we’re looking at leftovers from the beginning: how people preserved and reused food before modern refrigeration, how the rise of the icebox and refrigerator changed what “leftovers” even meant, and why saving food became tied to thrift and wartime conservation.

Then we get into the actual question: what really happens to food overnight? We’ll look at flavour redistribution, sensory adaptation, texture changes, starch retrogradation, resistant starch and…