existed.
The reason for this is twofold. First, the cooked starch on
the surface of the potatoes hardens and gelatinizes as it
cools, making it harder for anything to penetrate. Second, as
the potatoes cool, they contract and tighten up slightly,
making it harder for any seasoning to work its way into the
center, even if it manages to make it past the gelatinized
starch sheath on the exterior.
As you will have noticed, whether the potatoes were
cooked in seasoned water or seasoned immediately after