My husband sent me an article from the NY Times the other day about an interesting side effects of eating miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum for you horticulture geeks). The article, titled, “A Tiny Fruit That Tricks the Tongue,” was unique enough that I thought you would want to hear about it.
Why is it so interesting? Apparently, when you eat one of these fruits, it alters your taste buds to make acid food sweet. Yes, people claim that under the influence of miracle fruit, lime and lemon slices taste like candy, that goat cheese taste like white frosting, and even bitter beer tastes like a chocolate shake. Eating pizza is similar to eating a very rich dessert. The effect is said to last for about 1/2 an hour.
Miracle fruit tasting parties are cropping up so that people can satisfy their curiosity about this little red fruit native to Ghana. According to the article, hosts order the fresh fruit from Curtis Mozie, a Florida grower who has a website dedicated to this amazing fruit. There are also a few specialty nurseries who offer the plant for purchase, but you may have to wait 2 years to reap your first harvest. Curtis does offer seeds for purchase on his site as well.
Ok, I’m curious…. has any reader tried a miracle fruit- and if so, will you leave me a comment about your experience?
Regards, Carla
Stumble It!
WOW! I want my salad to taste like apple crisp ala mode! LOL Barb
I live in Hawaii and have eaten miracle fruit!
It’s a small little berry- kind of like a coffee cherry. It has a sweet taste- almost sickeningly so…. and it’s true. Whatever you eat afterwards tastes sweet…. works with lemons, limes, you name it.
It’s more of a novelty than anything, though I can imagine that it might help someone to take some yucky medicine or something!
That is really weird, I’ve never even heard of this. How strange. Do they sell it in stores, or do you have to know someone.
It seems counter-intuitive that something really sweet makes everything else taste sweet, it must work on the nerves in your tastebuds and chemically maintain the response for a limited period of time…I wonder how the chemical works to effect the nervous system that way.
Hmmm, I wonder what other applications it might have.
Ideas for sailing books are headed your way, soon, I promise.
Sounds like a Willy Wonka idea to me!!!
I had some when before i had an orange, the orange was so sweet it was unbelievable. You need to eat some for yourself
Strawberries are by far my favorite, for a complete list of foods to try go to http://www.miraclefruitworld.com/recipes.html