What Is Miracle Fruit?

Miracle Fruit is an exotic berry with the extraordinary ability to alter the way you taste the flavor of foods. Outside its natural range, it is grown by rare fruit enthusiasts for its beauty and functionality.

Names

• Miracle Fruit is also referred to as "Synsepalum dulcificum" and "Miracle Berry."

Identification

• The fruit is a small oval, about the size of an olive or coffee bean, with deep red skin. The Miracle Fruit plant is a small evergreen.

Geography

• Miracle Fruit grows naturally in West Africa. It can be propagated in any area with a warm climate (where temperatures never fall below 32 degrees F) and acidic soil.

Benefits

• The berry removes the taste of sourness and acidity from foods, and can improve the taste of stale food. However, Miracle Fruit will not increase sweetness.

Potential

• Researchers are investigating ways to use Miracle Fruit as a sugar alternative. However, because the effects are long lasting--up to 18 hours--it is currently not an acceptable sweetener.