Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum), sometimes known as the Miracle Berry, is a plant native to West Africa. The berry has a mildly sweet flavor; however, the fruit is treasured not for its own taste, but for the fruit’s unique effect on the taste buds. Miracle berries are tasteless, but they have a sweet effect on sour foods. Limes, lemons, and even vinegar, taste sweet if they are eaten after a Miracle berry. This sensation occurs, because an active glycoprotein molecule called, miraculin, attaches to the taste buds and alters the sweet receptors on the tongue and changes sour flavors to sweet flavors. This flavor alteration can last from five to thirty minutes.
| Name | Miracle Fruit |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Synsepalum dulcificum |
| Native | Native of tropical west and west central Africa. |
| Common/English Name | Magic Berry, Miracle Berry, Miracle Fruit, Miraculous Berry, Sweet Berry. |
| Name in Other Languages | Norwegian: Mirakelfrukt French : Fruit Miraculaix West Africa : Taami Catalan: Fruita miracle Swedish: Mirakelfrukt Japanese: Mirakuru furuutsu Chinese: Bian wei guo Vietnamese: Cay than ky Czech: Zázračné ovoce Slovanian: Čudežne jagode Dutch: Mirakelbes Polish: Cudowny owoc French: Fruit miraculeux Italian: Frutto dei miracoli Malay: Buah ajaib Danish: irakelbær, Mirakelfrugt Russian: Magicheskij frukt Croatian: Čudotvorna bobica German : Wunderbeere Spanish: Baya mágica German: Wunderbeere Estonian: Magustav imemari Portuguese: Fruta de milagro Hungarian: Čudesno voće |
| Plant Growth Habit | Bushy, evergreen shrub |
| Growing Climate | Warm to hot, wet to humid environment free from frost. Grow in full sun but thrives best under partial shade |
| Soil | Well-drained, acidic soil. It is intolerant of alkaline conditions and water-logging. |
| Plant Size | 1.8 and 4.5 meters (6 to 15 feet) in height |
| Leaf | Alternate, clustered at the branch tip, on short petioles; lamina 5–15 cm long, 2–4 cm wide, obovate-lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, bluntly pointed at apex, tapering towards the base, glossy green, with eight pairs of lateral veins. |
| Flower | Bisexual, white, small, solitary or in small clusters of 2–4 on slender pedicels in leaf axils. Calyx is five-lobed, 5 mm long, ribbed with triangular lobes; corolla as long as calyx, white, tubular, 5-parted. small, 6–7.5 mm, with 5 mm long, ribbed, 5-lobed calyx4-5 lobed, white. |
| Fruit Shape & Size | Ovoid to oblong berry, 2–2.5 cm long, 1 cm wide, finely pubescent, with a persistent protruding style |
| Fruit Color | Green turning bright red when ripe |
| Flesh Color | White |
| Flavor/Aroma | Mildly sweet flavor |
| Taste | Bland in taste |
| Seed | Single dark brown ellipsoid seed |
| Health Benefits |
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