Garoo

Miracle fruit tablets, or “miracle berries” [cause] a protein reaction in your mouth which makes even the sourest, bitterest things, like a sharp lemon, taste sweet.

The geeks at ThinkGeek have tried the miracle fruit, and claim that it makes straight limes taste like the sweetest, most ambrosial limeade. Even better? Something already sweet, like ripe oranges, tasted like “they were plucked straight from the Garden of Eden”.

Am I the only one who thinks that description sounds scary?

According to Wikipedia, miraculin does exist, so it’s gotta be true:

The detailed mechanism of the taste-inducing behaviour is still unknown. It has been suggested that the miraculin protein can change the structure of taste cells on the tongue. As a result, the sweet receptors are activated by acids, which are sour in general. This effect remains until the taste buds return to normal. […]

Miraculin was denied approval for use as a sweetener by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Miraculin has no legal status in the European Union. However it is approved in Japan as a harmless additive.

There’s no way I’m putting that in my mouth. But I totally want to try it.