Miracle Berries – A Twist on Sweet and Sour

in Uncategorized
October 21st, 2014

Not one for sour food? Look no further than miracle berries – the fruit of the shrub Synsepalum dulcificum – to turn sour delicacies into sweet treats. A New York Times article reported the drastic changes in the taste sensation that consumers experienced after eating these berries. A tart concoction of lemon sorbet and Guinness tasted like a chocolate milkshake, a drizzle of tabasco sauce could have been mistaken for donut glaze – just one berry is enough to turn your taste buds upside down.

This miracle is achieved by the appropriately named miraulin, a glycoprotein contained in the fleshy portion of the berry. It binds to taste receptors on the taste buds, and for the most part does not affect taste sensation. However, when sour foods are consumed, the acid contained lowers the pH in the mouth. The miraculin on the receptors binds to the protons released by acidic substances, activating sweet receptors. It has been suggested that it changes the structure of taste receptors on the tongue, but any evidence towards this has been inconclusive. It is interesting to note that miraculin itself is not sweet.In fact, the berry has very little sugar.

Miracle berries have been used at least since the 19^th century in West Africa before each meal. More recently, it has been experimented with for use as a commercial sweetener for diabetes patients. There has also been a reported demand for them from cancer patients as it helps alleviate the metallic taste in the mouth caused by chemotherapy. Bartenders have also attempted to make ‘miracle fruit cocktails’, however these have been unsuccessful due to the high perishability of the berry. Fruits are available mostly from specialty sellers, at a pricey $2 per berry.

-Devika N.

References:

http://www.gayot.com/lifestyle/health/features/miracle-fruit-health-benefits.html-The Sweet Benefits of Miracle Fruit

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/dining/28flavor.html?_r=0 A Tiny Fruit That Tricks the Tongue- NY Times

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB117522147769754148?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB117522147769754148.html-Wall Street Journal