(For my last post in this series about my mother’s garden, which is my way of honoring her this Mothers’ Month of May, I am featuring a most unusual fruit — something that, come to think of it, is like our mothers who help make even the worst of times just a little better. 
)
Of all the produce in my Ma’s garden, this is probably the most unusual — synsepalum dulcificum, better known as miracle fruit or magic berry. It is so called because of the amazing effect it has on one’s taste buds. Simply put, it makes everything, and I mean everything, taste really sweet.
By itself, miracle fruit (or as we know it in our house, magic fruit) is not that remarkable. The flesh is thin and is only mildly tangy — nothing special. But a few seconds after you eat it, the ‘magic’ happens. You can then suck on a halved sour lemon or bite into a slice of unripe pineapple and it will be the sweetest lemon or pineapple you’ve ever tasted.
Soy sauce and vinegar become sweet, garlicky longganiza becomes longganiza hamonado, fruits that are already sweet become almost unbearably saccharine, and antibiotic emulsion tastes like … melted ice cream (or so my nieces say, hehe). According to a New York Times feature on Miracle Fruit ‘taste-tripping’ parties, it even makes Tabasco taste like doughnut glaze!
The ‘magic’ in the magic/miracle fruit comes from ‘miraculin’, a substance that binds to the taste buds and somehow heightens the sweetness in anything. (And that is all the ‘scientific explanation’ I have for you.)
A plant native to Africa, the miracle fruit plant thrives in tropical climates and bears fruit year-round. There are always at least a few berries ready for the picking whenever I go home. It is a regular fixture at our breakfast table because my parents who must watch their sugar intake use it as sweetener. (It does the job with black coffee, too.)
The miracle fruit’s sweetening effect is so strong, it is supposed to make even raw onions (the pungent variety) edible and sweet. One day I might just try it. I’m sure it’ll be a good surprise, wonderful enough to move me to tears. 
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I hope you enjoyed my posts featuring my Ma’s garden. Here are the others:
Gorgeous photos and great description, as always, Tita!
Thanks, Naomi!
I’m sorry I haven’t been dropping by your (or anyone’s) blog lately. We are extra busy at home now and I haven’t had time to go online. Will be catching up soon (I just posted this because it’s the end of May and I did promise my Ma, haha.)
Thanks again.
No worries, Tita! I sure know how that goes.
Wish I had one growing in my little garden.
This is so interesting, Tita Buds! I’ve never heard of it before, but now I’m curious to try it! What a weird/cool little fruit.
Very interesting, I have never heard of such but kinda wish I could try it!
Can you get this miracle fruit in Florida? It sounds wonderful. Love your descriptions and photos.
I heard about this from the people in the office where I was a trainee. I was like, ‘are you kidding me?’ Is there really something this magical in real life? And then there was tremendous nodding and ‘yeah of course!’. I was skeptical with the existence of this fruit, until I saw this post! I need to try this one someday!
A wonderful ode to your mother and the fruit, hope to try this miracle fruit someday, will check if there is anything like it in India, I do remember seeing something like it from my childhood memory…ummmm!
i’ve never seen that one yet. going home this weekend to bataan. makahanap nga. ilalagay ko sa… hmmm… halohalo? hehehe!
I’ve heard about this on a fancy cooking show, but didn’t realize it was a fruit. How fascinating! Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful post again, Tita Buds! Yet again, this fruit is unknown to me, to think that I am a barrio girl.
First time I heard of this fruit was from a friend from college, then again a couple years later, browsing through Lottie and Doof’s blog. Here in the US, they make magic berry parties. They serve the fruit and an assortment of food just to see what it will taste like after eating the fruit. I heard it tastes good with vodka.
It’s pretty pricey, though. I forgot the exact figure but a pack couldn’t be more than 16 pieces and it can’t be cheaper than $20, I think.
I’d love to try that… thanks for the interesting post!
Just what I need Tita! Might help me keep off the real stuff
Wow, I’d never heard of this before, but I’d sure like to try it to see what it’s like!
I remember our neighbor in Samar used to have this plant. And we would have fun tasting almost every salty or soul food after eating the berries.
This is probably the very thing I need to lure my sis-in-law into trying out black coffee. A great find and a great read, Tita!
I need this , ha ha just because I love sweet foods
I enjoyed this beautiful post. I appreciate the pictures that are worthy of a magazine spread and the side story about your mom.
Lovely photos!
Great blog!
Hope you check mine out too some time! (it’s still under construction :$ )
Hi Tita Buds! Miss you and your sunny blog posts! God bless you! Just dropping by to say I missed you.
Hi Tita! I hope all is well with you!
Missing your posts Tita. Hope all is well.
Interesting to read about this unique fruit! Let us know how the onion tasting goes!
Hi Tita! I came across your blog while reading some comments on another page and I’m glad I did! I’m new to the whole blogging world and I’m wondering if you have any good tips for a rookie! Thanks!
Colton
I’m ready to cook it and make a jam!
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