Does curry taste better if left overnight? You also need to add "this ingredient" to improve your metabolism!

In the Japanese manga "Midnight Diner", there is an episode where curry that has been frozen overnight is poured over hot rice, which is a delicious delicacy. One of the lines even mentions: "Pour the slightly solidified overnight curry in the refrigerator over the hot rice and eat it while the curry melts." This has aroused the curiosity of many people. Why does overnight iced curry taste better?

Healthy food for the common people: nutritional benefits of curry

The health benefits of curry are all due to the curcumin in the spice. Not only was it selected as a healthy diet that will continue to be popular in the future in the 2016 "Google Food Trends" food trend survey, but according to the ancient Indian medical book "Ayurveda", people at that time knew that curcumin has anti-inflammatory effects and often used turmeric to treat inflammatory diseases such as trauma and joint pain. Modern research shows that eating curry 2 to 3 times a week can indeed reduce the risk of dementia; it also has four major benefits, including preventing cardiovascular disease and fighting cancer.

When the weather is cold, have a bowl of hot curry rice. In addition to turmeric powder, curry also contains spicy spices such as Sichuan pepper, star anise, pepper, cinnamon, cloves and coriander seeds. It can promote the secretion of saliva and gastric juice, increase gastrointestinal motility, increase appetite, improve constipation, and benefit intestinal health.

Fun Fact 1: Is overnight curry more delicious?

Many netizens have asked the question "Why does curry become more palatable when left overnight?" According to the website "Daily Cold", when meat cools down, it relaxes, just like a tightly twisted towel being released. At this time, the various spices and flavors in the curry will seep into the meat. The loosened protein not only helps to redistribute water, but the flavors of the various spices will also enter the meat due to osmotic pressure.

However, nutritionist Cai Yixuan said that the general view tends to be that the taste of food changes because of the deterioration of protein and fat or the growth of bacteria. If it is said that the taste will be better after leaving it overnight, it is speculated that it is related to the absorption of water in the food and the concentration of the soup, which makes the taste richer.

In addition, some studies have shown that adding just one seasoning to curry can greatly increase the body's ability to absorb curcumin:

Trivia 2: Curry + black pepper improves absorption

Curry (turmeric root powder) helps fight cancer, diabetes and many other diseases. Studies have also found that piperine in black pepper can help increase the absorption efficiency of curcumin in curry by 20 times! Next time you cook curry, remember to add some black pepper to enhance the flavor and promote metabolism~

Trivia 3: Is it more suitable to serve curry in a plate than in a bowl?

In addition, have you noticed that restaurants almost always serve curry on plates rather than in large bowls, which is different from rice bowls? The main reason is that plates are wider and larger, providing a wider contact area between rice and curry sauce than bowls, allowing the rice and curry sauce to blend perfectly, making them more suitable for dishes with rich sauces such as curry.

Key Summary

Curry is good for your health. Curcumin is anti-inflammatory and improves metabolism. It tastes better if left overnight, but you must be careful about bacterial growth or meat protein deterioration. You can add some black pepper when cooking to increase the efficiency of curcumin absorption by the body.