Known to Westerners since the 18th century, synsepalum dulcificum, or the miracle fruit, is a popular food that contains a mysterious protein that turns acidic into sweet. The miracle berry contains a protein called miraculin and comes from West Africa. The miracle berry looks like something Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle would have used on a child who would only eat sweet things. Protein causes a bittersweet reaction in any type of food or drink. Flavor-firing parties use this berry to ignite taste buds. Most people devour as much of the berry as they can, and few don’t take it as well. Regardless, eating the miracle berry is safe and is a food that will broaden your culinary horizons.
Discovered by the French cartographer Cavalier des Marchais, the miracle berry was consumed by locals in West Africa before meals. Some people are trying to use the “miracle” powers of the berry for dieters and diabetics. As a diet plan, eating vegetables flavored with churros and cakes doesn’t seem like a diet that many would not want to try or complain about. Some have even used the berry to counteract the metallic taste that chemotherapy leaves in the mouth of cancer patients.
The miracle berry contains little sugar and is also used as a sugar substitute for the miraculin content. Miraculin binds to the taste buds and acts as a sweetness initiator when it comes in contact with acids. The effects of the fruit last about an hour, enough time to taste all the food in your fridge like you have never done before. But it will come at a high cost. A single berry can cost up to $ 2 or more. The fruit is available from a variety of companies and online vendors.
On its own, the fruit tastes like a subdued cranberry. But with other foods, turn the Tabasco sauce into a donut glaze, the lemon and Guinness sourbet into a chocolate shake, the vinegar into apple juice, and the goat cheese into cheesecake. Some even eat it with oysters. Waiters have been experimenting with this fruit, as have many chefs around the world, trying to find the perfect combination of red berries and sour foods for a pristine and exotic meal.
For flavor parties, this berry is a must. Cheeses, sauces, meats, dressings and vegetables are transformed into sweet foods as if they have been attacked by a sugar machine similar to that of Dr. Seuss. However, not everyone will take this miracle fruit. The effects last from 45 minutes to an hour, so it does not permanently damage the palate. The berry is also available in granules or tablets and has a shelf life of 10 to 18 months.
