What if we told you that there was a way to experience food in a way that you’ve never done before?
The miracle berry is a red fruit produced by the Synsepalum dulcificum–an evergreen shrub native to West Africa. Explorer, Chevalier des Marchais, observed that the native villagers ate this miracle berry before having their meals. It has a unique effect on your sense of taste–it makes sour things taste sweeter.
In this blog post, we will go over how this magic fruit can alter your taste buds and your experience with food.
How Does the Magic Berry Alter Taste Buds?
In 1968, a Japanese researcher named Kenzo Kurihara found why the miracle fruit had such a unique effect on the taste buds–due to a glycoprotein named miraculin which also gives the berry its name.
Miraculin binds itself strongly with the sweet taste buds on your tongue and gets activated when there is a change in the pH level of your mouth, which is when you taste something sour or bitter. Your brain temporarily identifies sour and bitter flavors as sweet due to this.
Different Effects of Miracle Fruit on Taste Buds
Let’s check out how this miracle fruit affects each of the taste buds:
- Sweet: Under the influence of the miracle fruit, sweet fruits don’t actually taste sweeter–they are just the same, there are no major changes.
- Salty: Salty foods don’t appear to be as salty under the influence.
- Sour: This is where things are significantly different–sour things taste significantly sweeter and bearable–you won’t wince while having a slice of lemon. You can read more about it here.
- Bitter: Bitter foods are almost the same with no significant changes in them
As everyone is different, so is their experience with the miracle berry. You can try it for yourself to see what effects it has on your taste buds.
If you live outside West Africa, it will be harder for you to find fresh or freeze-dried miracle berries. So, you might have to go for magic berry tablets instead.
How Long Do the Effects Last?
On average, the effects of the berry last for about an hour. But, this also depends on your unique anatomy–for some, it may last for 20 minutes while for others, it may last for 1.5 hours! The strength of the effects begins to diminish as the time passes until your sense of state eventually reverts back to normal.
What Can I Use to Experience These Effects?
The magic berry interacts with your taste buds in a unique manner, which is something a lot of people wish to experience. Here are three ways in which you can try:
- Fresh miracle berries: These are the best choice if you live in an area where they are readily available
- Freeze-dried miracle berries: These are the next best thing to the fresh berries and have similar properties
- Magic berry tablets: You need to choose them with care for seeing the best results.
Extract the Most of Out of the Berry!
The flavor of magic berry mostly depends on how you eat it. Most people don’t realize that there is a right way to eat the berry. In this section of the article, we will help you figure out the right way to relish it. Here are some tips:
- Start by having a drink of water to cleanse your platter and get rid of any food residue. You can also rinse your mouth with water if you’ve just chewed some gum or had a snack
- These berries work best when they completely coat the lining of your mouth. So, try to make sure that you chew them for as long as you can and let the juices flow in your mouth
- Swish the juices around in your mouth to ensure every of your mouth surface is coated. It starts showing effect within minutes.
If you’re eating a fresh magic berry, keep in mind that you aren’t supposed to consume the pit!
Are They Safe to Consume?
Miracle berries have been used by the indigenous West Africans for centuries without any known health effects or consequences. However, since the research on the long-term effects of these berries is limited, we wouldn’t recommend you to have them before every meal. They are safe to consume responsibly once in a while.
In Conclusion
The miracle berry plays a unique game with your taste buds by making sour things taste sweet, temporarily. These effects may last for up to 1.5 hours and diminish gradually. Researchers are studying its use to treat various health issues such as diabetes, weight loss, eating disorders, chemotherapy, etc. And who knows if it would be the next new alternative to sugar!
