It wasn’t a choice between the red or the blue pill, your only choice was the tiny red berry you were handed upon entering. It was a Miracle Berry! A plant native to the regions of West Africa, it came with ‘sweet’ incentives. Skepticism arose in the crowd as I began explaining the effects of miraculin – it seemed like Unobtainium or Kryptonite. But as my guest’s chewed on the fleshy part of the fruit, the molecule was discreetly binding to their taste buds, and giving them an odd ability to bend the rules of sweet and sour. Sour food, like fresh lemons, became “impregnated with sugar”, remarked one of my guests. This “taste trip” effect lasts 15–60 minutes, depending on the person.
As much as I love for everything to taste like sugar, when I ordered 15 miracle berries I knew that I would not be munching down on lemons and apple cider vinegar for the next 15 days by myself. A casual party was the way to explore a new food, and approach sour foods from their sweeter side. Once people arrived and placed their items on the table, anticipation began to mount. The odd assortment of food sprawled across the table was nothing you would see at any normal dinner party. It made much more sense once you knew what you were in for.
After popping the tiny berry and coating your tongue with its milky white flesh, we each partook in our favorite sour or bitter food. Before there was sound, there was movement of eyebrows. The “Oh wow!” and “Whoa, really?” came quickly after we bit into a juicy lemon without puckering because it tasted like the sweetest, tangiest lemonade. Apple cider vinegar tasted like apple juice with a kick. Oranges were perfectly ripe. Cream cheese “tastes like cheesecake!”, one guest exclaimed while sneaking twelve more chunks on his way around the table. Guinness was like a smooth, very chocolate stout. There were also limes, cups of coffee, hot sauce, salt and vinegar chips, pickles, sour patch kids and sour gummy worms. With everything tasting so delicious, and being young inspired college kids, we remarked on the marketability of these berries as some sort of natural sweetener. We wondered what other foods this berry could compliment. We just couldn’t stop trying the sour things that had previously made our faces contort. Concerns of ulcers came and went – this was one of the most memorable food experiences of my life. Nothing our stomachs could not handle.
I highly recommend this experience. Although there are miracle berry tablets, I enjoyed having the actual berry source, even though it was more expensive. I must also thank the source of these berries, and hope that you use him for your future miracle berry needs. I used to hate online shopping until I discovered that the interwebs sell random food you can’t buy at a grocery store. Ethan’s Garden, http://www.ethansgarden.com/, provided me with perfect miracle berries and excellent service. After ordering online, Ethan personally contacted me, asking me when I wished for these to be delivered and what I could expect. His friendliness and punctuality were enough to make him my only source of miracle berries. I have to thank him for the great success of my Taste Tripping Party.
Remember foodie friends, there are still foods out there that we have yet to try. “Adventure is out there!”
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