Have you ever wondered what a lemon would taste like if the bitter overtones went away? Now thanks to a "miracle fruit" you can completely turn your taste buds upside down, making it possible to eat bitter or sour foods as if they were sweet.

Miraculously Sweet
The bright red Miracle Berry (synsepalum dulcificum) is native to west Africa and was first discovered in 1725 by an explorer named Des Marchais. The berry contains an active glycoprotein molecule and carbohydrate chains called miraculin (hence the name Miracle Berry) which give it the ability to dull the tastebuds that react to bitter tastes, radically changing the tastes of almost all foods.

Flavour Trips
Due to the growing popularity of the Miracle Berry, "flavour tripping" parties are becoming the most fashionable type of party around in the States, where people chew on the flesh of the fruit, throwing away the stone, then experience the sweet sensation for up to two hours afterwards. Tables of food like pungent cheeses, bottles of tabasco and vinegar, and wedges of citrus fruits are devoured by party-goers whose only taste sensation is sweet.

$2.00 per Berry!
Although the business in Miracle Fruit is growing, bars don't seem too keen to use the fruit behind the counter due to it being highly priced and quick to perish. In the States, berries are sold for around $2 each.

Curtis Mozie is grower in Florida who sells his berries through his own website www.miraclefruitman.com and charges $90 for a freezer pack of 30 berries. When under the miracle's influence, Mozie loves to eat tangy green mangoes. He also said: "I like oysters with some lemon juice. Usually you just swallow them, but I just chew like it was chewing gum."