DOES COLD PIZZA REALLY TASTE THAT DELICIOUS?

The pizza world is divided between cold and hot pizzas. Experts decode why some like the refrigerated ones

Aman’s best friend, apart from a dog, is pizza. No matter what time of the day it is, a slice of pizza can turn a bad day into a good one. However, for pizza lovers, if there is one thing that baffles and divides opinion is why does leftover or refrigerated pizza taste so awesome? Some even argue that it’s better than a hot piping one. We spoke to experts to decode the science behind the juicy taste of a leftover-refrigerated pizza.

WHO DECODED IT?

In early 2000’s, Scottish scientist Dr Maureen Cooper — a chemistry lecturer from Stirling University — decided to investigate this matter. In an interview with the BBC, she explained, “The traditional pizza base has fibres that trap water, preventing it from seeping through to the cooked dough and making it soggy. Given that fat and water don’t mix, the melted cheese topping sits nicely above the puree. We all see the grease on plates that causes washing-up liquid to float on top. That is because oil and water don’t mix. This phenomenon can be applied to cold pizzas. Since fat doesn’t go through to the base, the pizza tastes so much better.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

The taste of leftover food depends on it’s structural properties. “For example, a dish like sushi consisting fish and rice should be consumed within 10 hours. When a fish dies, the bacteria inside it starts attacking and its taste deteriorates. It’s unhealthy, too. However, this isn’t the case with pizzas. Aromatics such as garlic, onion and herbs along with cheese infuse well over a period of time releasing their flavour. And if you put your pizza in the fridge, the combination of aromatics and cheese gets time to calm down, making the pizza taste better,” says chef Vaibhav Bhargav. And tomato puree also plays a big role in influencing the taste. “It gets oxidised with time, increasing the taste,” says chef Harangad Singh.

WHAT’S THE CATCH?

We’ve established that leftover pizza tastes awesome. But, is it healthy? “If the pizza base is of Chicago-style (deep dish pizza dough) or deep-pan, you can refrigerate it because the base is strong enough to hold the ingredients. However, if the base is thin crust, it’ll crumble. Also, how edible refrigerated pizzas are depends on its ingredients. If you are using sea food, have the pizza fresh. While refrigerating, stick to Margheritas or pepperonis,” says Chef Sabyasachi Gorai.

And the base of a pizza isn’t the only point of concern. “Cheese like mozzarella gets gooey after a period and cold cheese can cause you an upset stomach. For leftover pizza, opt for soft cheese like goat or mascarpone,” says Chef Vaibhav Bhargav. How do you refrigerate and microwave the pizza:

“In summers, pizza can be kept out in the open for max ½ hours. After that, you have to refrigerate it in temperature 0-3 degree Celsius. The ideal time to microwave a pizza is for 40-60 seconds,” says Chef Harangad Singh.

If you put your pizza in the fridge, the combination of aromatics and cheese gets time to calm down, making the pizza taste better. VAIBHAV BHARGAV CHEF

PHOTO:ISTOCK