At the beginning of the 18th century, a certain eating habit was studied among African tribes. Before eating, they first patiently chewed some red berries. This improved the taste of foods and acidic and sour foods. Now the fruit that transforms acids into sweets is studied in detail.
It is native to the west coast of Africa. He Synsepalum dulcificum (or zafru) It is a tropical shrub of the family Sapotaceae. It has a fundamental role in traditional African medicine. It allows local people to consume unripe fruits, palm wine or local beer, changing the taste. This unusual characteristic of the so-called 'miracle' berry is due to the presence of a protein. The name miraculin was attributed to it.
miraculous
Thanks to this property, you can experience the perception of sweet flavor without increasing the glycemic index. Biotechnologist Adrián Menéndez Rey explains it. On this he made his thesis: Immunogenic biological activity of Synsepalum dulcificum for the development of functional foods.
Raquel Salazar is an Agroindustrial and Food Engineer, co-CEO of Zafrú Fruta Milagrosa. She is the main producer of this fruit in Ecuador. It is produced in places like Taiwan and Ghana. “The protein comes into contact with the taste buds. And it alters them for about half an hour. “Acid flavors become sweet,” says Salazar.
At the Tributo restaurant (Quito, Ecuador) pastry chef Joaquín Araque prepares experiences around this fruit. “We make pastries for people who cannot consume sugar. But also gluten- and dairy-free preparations. They enjoy the sugar-free dessert with the advantage that it is the berry that sweetens each bite,” Araque concludes.
Experiences
In Madrid and Chicago these “experiences” are replicated. The berry is not used as an ingredient, but diners are invited to try it first. After that, they try acidic foods, but the taste is completely different.
The fruit that transforms acids into sweets can be used in multiple ways. After preparing any food with citrus or acids, you should chew the miracle fruit well (at least 20 seconds). Then, in every bite, all those sour flavors will be sweet on our taste buds.
