Miraculous Berry Fools Your Taste Buds
New fruit in Chicago makes sour foods taste sweet
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Olives are just one of the many acidic flavors affected by a new berry that makes foods taste sweet.
Chicagoans with a sweet tooth will love the newest fruit in town, the "miracle berry."
Thursday night, the non-profit organization 826CHI threw a party celebrating Chicago's newest berry. Shipped from Florida, the small red fruit has an interesting effect on people's taste buds. When chewed, the berry releases a protein called miraculin, which will make sour foods taste sweet for about an hour afterward.
Acidic fruits like lemons and limes have a completely new flavor. "They tasted like they were coated in sugar," Lynne Roberts, a scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, told the Chicago Tribune.
Other affected foods include wine, sauerkraut, pickles, and olives. The "miraculous" protein also soothes the intensity of hot sauces and spices.
But while your taste buds might be fooled, your digestive tract won't be.
"I hope your stomachache is still at bay," organizer Patrick Shaffner told his guests. "But it will come later tonight—with a vengeance."
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