Why Day-Old Rice Tastes Better Than When It's Fresh

For millions around the world, rice is the ultimate culinary base. With its light, neutral flavor, it provides the perfect foundation for a nearly infinite number of dishes across several types of cuisines. Yet, there's a curious phenomenon noticed by rice lovers everywhere: Leftover, day-old rice somehow tastes even better than when it was fresh. It might seem counterintuitive, but there's actually a scientific reasoning behind this phenomenon, and it's all about starch.

When rice is cooked, it undergoes a process called gelation. When heat is applied to the rice, it breaks down the naturally-occurring starches in the grains, allowing water to be absorbed. This causes the rice to swell up, creating its signature fluffy texture. It's the same reason why freshly-cooked rice can become mushy when too much water is added. Once leftover cooked rice is placed in the refrigerator to store, a second starch-related process called retrogradation begins. Essentially, the starch molecules that underwent the gelation process recrystallize, locking in flavors. Not only that, but the retrogradation process removes excess water from the starch molecules, which makes the rice dry enough for each individual grain to remain separate. Ultimately, this creates a denser, chewier bite. This is why it's better to use leftover rice in fried rice, as the retrograded rice can withstand a second round of cooking without becoming overly soft or sticky.

Leftover rice isn't just treasured for its improved flavor and texture. Believe it or not, leftover rice may actually be healthier for you than freshly cooked rice. As rice cools, the starch molecules become much more densely packed together, which makes them significantly harder to digest. These hard-to-digest starch molecules are called resistant starches, and they boast a number of health benefits. For one, because they aren't easily-digested, the sugary starch molecules don't enter the bloodstream as much, preventing the spike in blood sugar that fresh rice would normally cause. Not only this, but the higher resistant starch content makes the rice have more dietary fiber, and as the resistant starches move through your digestive system, they might provide nutrients to the beneficial bacteria in your gut.

With this in mind, incorporating leftover rice into your diet in moderation could potentially improve your fiber intake and help your gut microbiome. One way to do this is by adding a heap of warm, leftover rice to a salad, creating a beautiful medley of textures and turning even the most humble of salads into a filling meal. While there's a number of benefits to eating the remainder of yesterday's meal, it's important to note that it can be dangerous to eat leftover rice if it hasn't been stored properly. Always be sure to store leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for no longer than three or four days.