Turns out beans are the only magical fruit. Known for centuries, a strange little berry known as the Miracle Fruit is sending curious eaters on a flavor-tripping experience. A bite of the fruit temporarily alters the tastebuds, making sour and bitter flavors sweet.
It’s become the darling of underground food clubs, spawing fits of elation at recreational tasting parties. Drug-culture references aren’t accidental, with folks referring to the experience as a sort of taste-altering experience, allowing the body to do things it wouldn’t normally — eating lemon and lime wedges straight, drinking vinegar like cider and bitter dark beer go down like chocolate milk.
The West African berry, however, is totally legal. In fact, it is was once considered as an alternative sweetener and is used by chemotherapy patients to stimulate appetite. The effects wear off after about an hour (though we can’t say what kind of effects eating lime wedges and Tabasco may have on your insides).
Sound like your kind of good times? The gastronauts of the SoCo-based Secret Eating Society and their new spin-off, The Underground Food Academy are co-hosting an upcoming Miracle Fruit tasting party with Flavor Tripping on Dec. 14 in San Francisco. The crew will be serving up the berries along with powdered Miracle Fruit Pills.
Puts a whole new spin on getting the munchies, eh?
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Also today: Michael Chiarello’s new Yountville restaurant, Bottega opens today. BiteClub’s headed out for deets!
