system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do foods such as salsas and soups tend to taste better after they've been refrigerated overnight?

I made salsa on Monday, tasted it, and thought it was OK. A night in the refrigerator really brought out the flavor. It's almost like the ingredients mingled somehow to make it taste so much better.
gpt
You've pretty much got it.

When you combine a bunch of ingredients in a flavored liquid, at first the flavors of the liquid will either just coat the pieces or barely penetrate the surface. As you let it sit, the flavors penetrate deeper into each piece of food, and each ingredient starts to give up its own juices to the mix, which are then absorbed by the others.

A freshly made chopped salsa or chunky soup tastes "disconnected", where each ingredient can still be individually discerned. In some cases, this is a good thing. As it sits, the ingredients absorb the flavors of all the others, becoming more of a cohesive overall taste.