Anyone tried Synsepalum dulcificum

[The Jamanoid]

So for those that don't know, it's a berry originally grown in Africa.

When placed in the mouth and held on the tongue for a while, it does something to your sensory perception in terms of taste.

It's been known to make sour things sweet - one thing you can read about a lot is that it'll make lemons sweet.

Also makes sweet things a little more intense/sweet, and can make other things taste completely different - one I'd personally like to try is Guinness, which is reputed to taste like chocolate milk.

In the states, where they seem to have become a popular fad among certain crowds, people have actually went ahead to host paid functions called "flavour tripping" parties, in which the guest is invited to consume the berries/extract, and provided with a smorgasbord of various foods, drinks, fruit and vegetables.

A novel idea, I think.

One great thing about it, is that for people undergoing chemotherapy, it can be used to remove the odd/bitter/metallic taste in the mouth that can sometimes come from treatment.

Info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_fruit

Videos here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScbMv8hfdTM

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGX6YIim9zQ

 

SO There's extracts, powders, candy and the dried berry itself available from some retailers online.

I was actually hoping to obtain a plant from an Australia based nursery if they're available at all, try my hand at maybe growing a little tree indoors, even if it was bonsai'd to fit.

So yeah...I reckon it sounds pretty cool...I'd like to try a few of the things that I don't actually like eating to see if there's any improvement whatsoever (brussels sprouts anyone?) and of course try some things that I do like, just for an interesting comparison.

So if anyone here has tried some, I'd appreciate a quick description of your experience if possible?

If not, I'm glad I got the info out there...these things look pretty damn fun...

- B.

[herbal_hindsight]

I tried miracle fruit earlier this year [start of jan] with very interesting results!

Initially me and a few buddies experimented with various foods we eat all the time... ie chocolate/potato chips/chicken stir fry/etc etc [stirfry was a winner!]

notably different! we were limited to how much we had available one of my friends had obtained it in the form of a chewing gum off ebay but yes i will agree it made lemons very sweet and lime as well... both were easily eaten raw and with delight!

but to be honest the true test came when we all tried a cactus brew! we drank some pepperment tea before hand to open up the mucous membranes in our mouth to enhance alkaloid absorbtion and it made the peppermint taste quite odd i must say!

as for the cactus as a lot of the members on here might know it is generally bitter not sour so it didn't hide the horrid taste all that much but did highlight other flavours within the brew that you might not normally experience in such a strong way.

it definently enhances the sweetness of things already sweet!

overall i too would love to grow this plant! seed supplies?

or at least i would love to obtain some of the fruit myself rather than just an extract made into chewing gum.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Miracle-Fruit-Berry...id=p3286.c0.m14

[Teotzlcoatl]

I've tried Miracle Fruit.

I ate like 5 lemons

[The Jamanoid]

I've yet to try it myself, but yes I'll be doing a split order with a few friends soon.

Not sure how/where to obtain seeds or bushes...I'm sure that considering our relatively hot climate it's not unrealistic to expect that some specialty nursery would have them here?

As for seeds, I'm certain those are available.

I'll keep looking into things and come back in here with any given results.

[kadakuda]

they are neat fruit no doubt.

finding seeds is not easy unless you know someone as they cannot be dried or they die. plants are usually easier to find, but not sure about aus.

[devance]

I would like to try it,

But there is for taste buds.

http://www.physorg.com/news174834346.html

[Ryba added that the taste of carbonation is quite deceptive. "When people drink soft drinks, they think that they are detecting the bubbles bursting on their tongue," he said. "But if you drink a carbonated drink in a pressure chamber, which prevents the bubbles from bursting, it turns out the sensation is actually the same. What people taste when they detect the fizz and tingle on their tongue is a combination of the activation of the taste receptor and the somatosensory cells. That's what gives carbonation its characteristic sensation."

Although some chefs might disagree, food does not tickle the taste buds that line the upper surface of the tongue, roof of the mouth, and upper esophagus. Rather the salt in a pretzel or the sugars in a chocolate drop bind to matching taste receptor cells clustered in our taste buds. ]

I wonder what ritualistic Japan chefs would do with that ingredient

Chinese chefs might be more flexable..