Fail2Care.COM

They were among 40 or so people who were tasting under the influence
of a small red berry called miracle fruit at a rooftop party in Long
Island City, Queens, last Friday night. The berry rewires the way the
palate perceives sour flavors for an hour or so, rendering lemons as
sweet as candy.

The host was Franz Aliquo, 32, a lawyer who styles himself Supreme
Commander (Supreme for short) when he’s presiding over what he calls
“flavor tripping parties.” Mr. Aliquo greeted new arrivals and took
their $15 entrance fees. In return, he handed each one a single berry
from his jacket pocket.

“You pop it in your mouth and scrape the pulp off the seed, swirl it
around and hold it in your mouth for about a minute,” he said. “Then
you’re ready to go.” He ushered his guests to a table piled with citrus
wedges, cheeses, Brussels sprouts, mustard, vinegars, pickles, dark
beers, strawberries and cheap tequila, which Mr. Aliquo promised would
now taste like top-shelf Patron.

The miracle fruit, Synsepalum dulcificum, is native to West Africa and
has been known to Westerners since the 18th century. The cause of the
reaction is a protein called miraculin, which binds with the taste buds
and acts as a sweetness inducer when it comes in contact with acids,
according to a scientist who has studied the fruit, Linda Bartoshuk at
the University of Florida’s Center for Smell and Taste. Dr. Bartoshuk
said she did not know of any dangers associated with eating miracle
fruit.

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