Synsepalum dulcificum

The berry has been used in West Africa for a long time. It is a part of the diet of the Yoruba people. For a time in the 1970s, US dieters could purchase a pill form of miraculin. This interest had a revival in food-tasting events at which tasters consume sour and bitter foods, such as lemons, radishes, pickles, hot sauce, and beer, then experience the perceived change to sweetness with miraculin. ==Characteristics==

It is a shrub that grows in height and has dense foliage. Its leaves are long, wide, and glabrous below. They are clustered at the ends of the branchlets. The flowers are white. It carries red, long fruits. Each fruit contains one seed about the size of a coffee bean. ==Cultivation==

The plant grows best in soils with a pH as low as 4.5 to 5.8, in an environment free from frost and in partial shade with high humidity. It is tolerant of drought, full sunshine, and slopes. ==Uses and regulation==

In tropical West Africa, where this species originates, the fruit pulp is used to sweeten palm wine. Historically, it was also used to improve the flavor of soured cornbread, but has been used as a sweetener and flavoring agent for diverse beverages and foods, such as beer, cocktails, vinegar, and pickles. Since 2011, the United States FDA has imposed a ban on importing Synsepalum dulcificum (specifying 'miraculin') from its origin in Taiwan, declaring it as an "illegal undeclared sweetener". However the ban does not apply when it is imported from other countries. In 2021, the company Baïa Food Co. in Spain was granted permission to put Dried Miracle Berry on the market in the EU. == References ==