For those who don’t know, miracle fruit is an amazing plant from Africa. It produces these wonderful berries that have the magical power to turn sour to sweet. Actually, it’s a chemical contained in the fruit that changes the taste buds’ perception. It has been used by many people who were in a situation that forced them to take bitter medicines daily to make the routine more bearable. If a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, how much better to simply change the medicine’s flavor?
A miracle fruit party is similar to a wine tasting party. You invite your friends over and enjoy everybody’s company as you ooh and ahh and compare your varying experience and impressions. One of the things that make the miracle fruit party so cool is that miracle fruit seems to affect individuals differently, so while one person might find that a piece of pineapple is virtually inedible because it’s just too sweet, another person might find that same piece of pineapple to be the absolute food of the gods.
Miracle fruit are pretty small (about the size of a coffee bean), so you want to make sure you have several on-hand for everybody. Another reason to have more than enough is that, just as the effect varies from person-to-person, the potency of the individual fruit varies. You don’t want someone not to enjoy your party as much as possible because they got a couple of ‘dud’ berries.
The weird taste change effect of the berries lasts anywhere from half an hour to a couple of hours. If you’re planning a marathon session of taste delight, you might want to stock up to renew the effect. As everybody eats their miracle berries in preparation for the tasting, make sure everybody gives the fruit a chance to work it’s magic on their taste buds. No gulping – think chocolate mousse, not raw oyster.
Since the point of the whole exercise is to experience the varied changes in foods you already know, you want to lay out a generous selection of foods and drinks. Some of the best choices are: cheeses, different styles of beer, and various fruit. Basically, anything with a tart or bitter element will be changed by the miracle fruit. The acids and sour elements in food are what you experience differently, so your best bet is to go with anything that contains a good bit of either. One of the coolest aspects of the miracle berry is the mystery of anticipating just how much it changes the taste of known foods.
Whether you’re planning to impress a group of virtual strangers with a classy, novel party, or if you’re just looking for a way to break the monotony of the Thursday night bridge party, a miracle fruit tasting can serve your purpose well. Enjoy your friends, enjoy your food, and you never know, you might just find a new favorite food.
