Yelpers munch on fruits, pickles, chips and other random snacks after taking the flavor berries.
This weekend We’re Out of Here didn’t travel anywhere, but our taste buds went on a trip . . . a flavor trip! On Friday night we found ourselves in northeast DC for a “flavor tripping” party hosted by Yelp.
The flavor tripping process begins with a West African berry commonly referred to as the “miracle fruit.” When the berry is eaten it causes a chemical reaction in your mouth. The result is that the person perceives sour and bitter flavors as sweet. Taste tripping parties are popular in NYC, but have yet to trickle down to the nation’s uncool capital. Here’s the NY Times on the phenomenon.
Each party attendee was instructed to bring a food item that would be interesting to try under the influence of the berries. The bizarre assortment of edibles brought by party-goers was strewn across the table. There was Tabasco sauce, vinegar, key lime pie, kimchi, ginger, pickles, cheap tequila, and Guinness, just to name a few.
We stood in a circle, and host distributed the berries. We were instructed to suck on the fruit for a minute or two. Biting down would ruin the effect. After a few minutes of inuendos (seeds? sucking?) and giggles, everyone converged on the table of goodies.
I’ll be honest, I don’t think the miracle berry really worked for me. Apparently, the fruit is supposed to make Guinness taste like chocolate milk, but all I tasted was, well, Guinness. Some party-goers remarked that the strawberries tasted sweeter than usual and that the grapefruit tasted like it was covered in sugar. I tried both and couldn’t really taste much of a difference.
The host of the party said the problem might be the age of the fruit. Although he still noticed an effect, he said a previous flavor tripping experience had been more profound. Why? The other berries were fresh. This batch had been in his freezer for two or three weeks.
Unfortunately, according to this website, the fresh beeries are only available in Florida and one place in California (which lists its berries as temporarily out of stock). However, you can order the next best thing, tablets, here.
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One Comment
I love miracle fruit. I bought my miracle fruit from http://www.buy-miracle-fruit.com They always seem to have fresh fruit when I order. They even sell the trees but I’m a bit lazy so I’ll stick with tablets and berries.