Synsepalum dulcificum or commonly known as the Miracle Berry is a plant from West Africa. The berries this plant bears are edible and red in colour with a seed and fleshy pulp.

What is so miraculous about this berry?

Believe it or not, the reason this berry is called a miracle berry is because when you eat it, this berry has the ability to make acidic, sour or bitter foods taste sweeter and this can last for up to several hours! (depending on how many berries you eat, of course).

The miracle is the glycoprotein called miraculin, that sticks to our taste buds making our brain think that sour or acidic foods taste sweet. So our brain thinks we are eating sweet food but we actually aren’t.

Imagine what we could do with this discovery, it could be possible to produce sugar free deserts that satisfy our cravings and taste just as good as all our favourite sugary alternatives. Our sweet fix solved without the guilt - wow!

The bad news is that unfortunately miraculin reacts when heated causing the Miracle berry’s famous properties to be eradicated. The berry is perishable at a fast rate, therefore it is essential that it is kept frozen to preserve it. The Miracle berry needs a lot of bright light and warmth to flourish, it loves moisture and high humidity, so difficult to grow in our Irish climate but still a little miracle all the same.

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