A truly unusual plant, the Miracle Berry Plant (Synsepalum dulcificum) can be an interesting addition to a houseplant collection. A sunny windowsill is all you need to grow this plant that will amaze your friends. The amazing part is what will happen to you when you chew one of the plant’s ¾ to 1 inch long attractive, red fruits. Once the fleshy, tasteless pulp coats your tongue, everything you eat for the next few hours or so will taste sweet. Bite into a lemon or a lime and the distinctive flavors of these fruits will be enjoyed, but their sourness will not pucker your mouth. Even a sip of straight vinegar will taste sweet. The basis for this reaction is the presence of miraculin in the fruit of this species. This taste modifying protein does not actually taste sweet, but apparently it binds to receptors of the taste buds, temporarily changing their function. While the taste modifying capabilities of the fruits have been known for over a century, miraculin was only isolated in the early 1970’s. The exact mechanism of action has yet to be elucidated, but is the subject of research, especially for its potential use as an “artificial sweetener”.
