This April Fool's Day, Trick Your Tongue!
By: Andie Mitchell
Published: April 1, 2011

While pulling an April Fool’s Day prank on yourself may seem rather strange, this one is well worth it! Miracle Fruit (or Miracle Berry) is the fruit of the Synsepalum dulcificum plant, an evergreen native to West Africa which produces fruit almost year-round. The berries contain a carbohydrate chain known as miraculin, which temporarily causes acidic (sour) foods to taste sweet. The effect lasts 30-90 minutes and the more acidic the food, the more pronounced the effect -- lemons taste like they have been candied, dill pickles taste like they have been marinated in honey and sauerkraut? Well you’ll have to find out! Want to taste something already sweet? Prepare for a sugar rush - fruits that are naturally high in sugar taste even sweeter than before.
 

Recently, Miracle Fruit tablets like mberry (pictured above) have become commercially available in the United States and have led to “taste tripping parties” where, you guessed it, partygoers take a tab and taste a bunch of different foods to see what will happen!
Ever tried it? I can’t wait to hear from you!

Comments:
huahin
April 1, 2011

Was given a plant a few years ago.  It produced small red berries < 1" long. When ripe, you bit into it and it DID make sour things sweet.  Lemons, pickles were very sweet.  Didn't last as long as you quote though, more like 5-10 minutes. Difficult to grow and more of a novelty than a necessity so don't have it any more.
Cheers