Tainted Tongue

It was just less than 2 weeks ago I got an e-mail from Roopa K., writer of http://www.raspberryeggplant.blogspot.com/ inviting Baltimore’s food bloggers to a gathering where our taste receptors on our tongues will be altered.

The invitation “ Have you heard of miracle fruit? (If so, feel free to skip ahead.) Miracle fruit is an amazing little berry-like fruit that contains a protein called miraculin. Miraculin alters your taste buds' perception of foods such that any sour or bitter foods you eat taste sweet; the effect of each berry lasts anywhere from 20-60 minutes. After you eat one, lemons taste like lemonade; goat cheese tastes like cheesecake, Guinness tastes like chocolate, and vinegar tastes pleasant. It has been written about in a number of publications and on many blogs, and, most recently, the New York Times ran an article on it in Wednesday's dining section - take a look at it for more info on a recent miracle fruit party in NY.”

I, in fact, had read the story in the Times and was right there for the gathering just this past Friday night. Meghan, writer of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme was co-hosting and was on WYPR discussing the Miracle Fruit



The Experiment:

There were a number of us bloggers gathered at Roopa’s Mt. Vernon apartment. She spent a great deal of time putting together food items to taste; plates of citrus, pickles, cheeses, vinegars, hot sauces, beer, unsweetened tea – one blogger brought a can of artichoke soda that was already sweet so when tasted sweetness was cloying.

We were to coat our tongues for about 30 seconds with the berry and I actually felt a tingle or numbing on the tip of the tongue. Most of us went immediately for the lemon and grapefruit which rather than being sour were a sweet tart. The vinegars were sweet, the hot sauce if it was sweeter I didn’t notice because the heat took over. The pickled items took on the “sweet bread & butter pickle” flavor profile.

I squeezed straight lemon juice in water and it tasted like lemonade and the ice tea, unsweetened tasted bitter but once I squeezed citrus in the tea it tasted sweet. So for me, it didn’t alter bitter it only altered the tart items. I could munch on a fresh piece of rhubarb with no wincing.

The Bloggers:

Here are the bloggers and their links:

Baltimore Snacker http://baltimoresnacker.blogspot.com/2008/06/miracle-fruit-party.html

Pigtown-Pigout http://pigtown-pigout.blogspot.com/2008/06/its-miracle.html

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme http://culinarynovice.blogspot.com/

Black Coffee and Donut http://blackcoffeeandadonut.com/

Kitchenography http://kitchenography.typepad.com/

Strawberries in Paris http://strawberriesinparis.wordpress.com/

Along with our food bloggers from Baltimore, Rob Kasper of the Sunpapers attended as well. ttp://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/custom/today/bal-columnist-kasper,0,6430018.columnist

In conclusion:

My tongue was challenged, tainted and taunted - it has fully recovered.