The History of the Miracle Fruit

The miracle fruit berry is a native to West Africa. For centuries, some tribes would consume this fruit before meals to improve the taste. The look and taste of the actual berry isn’t anything to write home about. They look like cranberries, or reddish olives. They are not all that juicy and have a bland, slightly sweet flavor, but that’s not what is so remarkable about this little berry.

Synsepalum dulcificum is known by many different names: miracle fruit, magic berry, miracle berry, flavor berry and miraculous berry to name a few. If you haven’t heard much about it, you will soon. Many big cities are hosting parties revolving solely around this tiny red berry and it’s effects on taste buds. The berry contains a glycoprotein called miraculin, which temporarily binds to the taste buds. According to the literature on the subject, what miraculin does is suppress the sour and bitter receptors of the tongue. Then, the taste of the food is perceived as sweet instead of sour. Think of it as the opposite of what orange juice tastes like after brushing your teeth. The time that the effects last vary from person to person, and depends on the kinds of food being consumed. This could be from 20 minutes to 2 hours. Within that timeframe, lemons have been said to taste like lemonade candy, goat cheese like frosting, apple cider vinegar like juicy juice, and Guinness like a chocolate shake.

So far, much of the news revolves around the recreational uses of the miracle fruit berry. One such novel use is referred to as a flavor tripping party. Party goers eat the berries, and then experiment by gorging on foods previously too sour, bitter, or spicy to even stand. Things like apple cider and balsamic vinegar, Guinness, tobasco sauce, limes, grapefruits, grapes, kiwis, goat cheese, bleu cheese, are standard fare at these get-togethers. Sounds like fun, but just be careful. Just because this can make acidic foods taste as sweet as candy, it doesn’t mean that it’s any less acidic for your teeth, mouth, throat, or stomach. The key is moderation. So, don’t chug an entire bottle of vinegar, okay?

Also, there are some interesting implications of miracle fruit for diabetics and chemo patients. For diabetics and dieters alike, one can use the miracle fruit to help sweeten certain foods without increasing sugar intake. Much of the time, if a food does not react with miracle fruit on its own, you can sweeten it by sprinkling on some fruit juice (or even vinegar) and it should do the trick.

One of the side-effects of chemo therapy is a loss of taste sensitivy. Many chemo patients explain that they are left with a metallic taste in their mouths and on food due to treatments. According to some of the preliminary research and studies that have been conducted, many chemo patients have reported their food actually tasting sweeter with some help from the miracle fruit. This news makes the miracle fruit not just a novel use for indulgence, but as a small improvement to the quality of life for many people.

You’re definitely going to see and hear a lot more about this potent little fruit.