Before reading this article, I sincerely invite you to click "Follow", which is not only convenient for you to discuss and share, but also to share more professional health knowledge with you, so as to escort your health, thank you for your support.
People are often overwhelmed by health advice, such as how much vegetables to eat, how much water to drink, and even tell you that you can't eat overnight dishes.
It's really a headache, if you accidentally make a few more bites of food, do you have to throw it away the next day?
This is not only a waste of food, but also a waste of our hard work.
However, this is not the case, some overnight dishes are not only edible, but the more you put them, the more delicious they are, and the healthier they are! So, what kind of dishes are they? Let's find out.
First of all, let's clarify a concept: why do most people think that overnight dishes should not be eaten?
This is mainly because some dishes may produce harmful substances, such as nitrites, during storage, especially if they are not stored properly. Nitrite is a chemical with a potential carcinogenic risk, especially in leafy greens. Therefore, some leafy greens that have been left overnight are indeed not recommended for consumption. However, not all dishes produce this problem.
To make it easier for everyone to understand, we can analyze it in conjunction with specific stories.
Friendly Reminder:
[Below, there may be an "ad unlock mode" in the article, but in the platform's new policy - ad unlocking is free, you only need to read the 5-second ad, you can continue reading, thank you for watching the official and the platform. 】
Ms. Yi, who is usually busy with studies and often does not have time to cook fresh meals every day, chooses to cook a lot at once and eat them in several days. She especially enjoys making stews because it saves time and effort.
One day, she made a large pot of braised pork and stewed tofu and put it in the refrigerator, and the next day she took it out and heated it up and found that it tasted better. As a result, she wondered: why did these dishes taste better after overnight?
From a medical point of view, certain dishes that are kept at low temperature after overnight will not only not produce harmful substances, but will also be made more delicious by the full integration of seasonings and ingredients.
For example, braised pork, after overnight refrigeration, the meat will be more flavorful and softer.
This is because the various ingredients in the seasoning penetrate into the meat at low temperatures, making the meat more delicious. The nutritional value of this type of dish will not be significantly reduced after overnight, but because of the increase in taste, it will promote appetite and be beneficial to health.
Another example is stewed tofu, which has fully absorbed the flavor of the soup after being stewed for a long time, and after being refrigerated overnight, the flavor is richer and the taste is better. At the same time, the protein in tofu will not undergo harmful changes at low temperatures, but because of the improvement of taste, it will promote protein intake even more. During the storage process, as long as a good low temperature environment is maintained, this kind of dish can be eaten with confidence.
In the case just given, from a medical point of view, stewed foods, especially meat and soy products, do not change significantly in their nutritional content after they have been fully cooked and refrigerated.
At the same time, due to the stronger taste, it can promote appetite and improve nutritional intake. During the storage process, if this kind of food can be kept in a low temperature environment and avoid excessive contact with the air, it will basically not produce harmful substances, and it is very suitable for overnight consumption.
Let's take a look at a classic dish: lo-mei. Suppose there is a middle-aged uncle who is a veteran food lover and especially likes to make all kinds of lo-mei by himself.
Each time he would make a big pot and eat it over several days. He found that although the freshly made lo-mei was fragrant, he always felt that the taste was almost meaningless; After overnight, the lo-mei is refrigerated and reheated, and the flavor is even stronger. This made him very satisfied, and even felt that the best time to eat lo-mei after overnight was to eat it.
From a medical point of view, after a long period of cooking, the ingredients have fully absorbed the flavor of the marinade, and during the refrigeration process, this flavor will be more fully integrated, making the ingredients more flavorful.
At the same time, the seasonings in the marinade, such as soy sauce, star anise, cinnamon, etc., have a certain antibacterial effect, which can prolong the preservation time of the lo-mei, as long as it is kept at a low temperature, the lo-mei is safe to eat.
In addition, cold dishes are also a special example. Suppose there is a male white-collar worker who is usually busy with work and often does not have time to eat properly. He likes to make some coleslaw and keep it in the fridge for easy access at any time. He found that some cold salads, such as cold fungus and cold cucumbers, tasted better overnight. Why is this so?
In response to the example just given, from a medical point of view, cold salad can be refrigerated for a period of time after seasoning, so that the seasoning can fully penetrate into the ingredients and make the taste more delicious. In particular, some fiber-rich ingredients, such as fungus and cucumber, will have a crisper texture and a fresher taste after being refrigerated. At the same time, this kind of cold dish will slow down the reproduction of bacteria under low temperature storage, as long as you pay attention to hygiene and store it properly, you can eat it with confidence.
To sum up, there are some dishes that can not only be eaten overnight, but also taste better and healthier, such as stews, lo-mei, and cold dishes. Of course, the premise is to pay attention to the freshness of the ingredients and the storage conditions. Good low-temperature preservation can effectively reduce the production of harmful substances and maintain the nutrition and taste of ingredients.
So, the question is: why do some overnight dishes spoil easily, while others taste better the more they are put together? From a food science point of view, this is closely related to the characteristics of the ingredients themselves, the antimicrobial effect of the spices, and the storage conditions.
Each ingredient has its own unique chemical composition and microbial environment, and some ingredients can inhibit bacterial growth and maintain freshness at low temperatures; Some ingredients are susceptible to chemical changes during storage, resulting in harmful substances. Therefore, understanding the characteristics of each ingredient and choosing the right storage method is the key to ensuring the safety and deliciousness of overnight dishes.
I hope that through the explanation of this article, you will be able to better understand the science of overnight dishes, and enjoy delicious food with peace of mind while staying healthy.
In order to further explore the safety and deliciousness of overnight dishes, we need to have a deeper understanding of the chemical changes of different ingredients during storage and the appropriate storage methods.
Let's start with stews. Suppose there is an old grandmother who is particularly fond of stewing all kinds of soups, especially chicken soup. Each time, she would stew a large pot and drink it slowly in the refrigerator. She found that the overnight chicken soup tasted stronger and tasted more nourishing.
Why does chicken broth taste better overnight? This is because during the stewing process, the collagen in the chicken slowly dissolves into the soup, and after refrigeration, the collagen is further concentrated, making the soup more delicious. The nutrients in the chicken soup will not be destroyed at low temperatures, but because of the precipitation and concentration during the refrigeration process, the soup is more nutritious.
From a scientific point of view, chicken soup is rich in protein, minerals and collagen, which are fully released during the stewing process, and the precipitation process after refrigeration will make the soup richer, while also inhibiting the growth of bacteria, as long as it is stored properly, it is very safe. Studies have shown that proper refrigeration not only does not destroy the nutrients in the soup, but can make certain nutrients more easily absorbed by the body.
What are your thoughts on this? Welcome to discuss in the comment area!
Ancient Oasis
Note: The original debut, plagiarism must be investigated to the end!
bibliography
[1] Can you eat overnight dishes? Shidao,2020,(06):63.