I’m trying to find the name of a plant what supposedly when you bite into it, it changes the chemistry in your mouth - or tastebuds - in a way where the act of biting into a lemon would taste sweet.
Does this ring a bell with anyone? I heard it was an african plant that did it, but that could be conjecture.
The NYT had an article about this not two months ago, IIRC. It does exist and it does come from Africa, can’t seem to find that article though (plus it would take a Select membership to pull an old article)
The miracle fruit (and miraculin)
Wow that’s pretty neat. I’m guessing that this isn’t harmful in any way then? I noticed at the end of the wiki article that Sapo linked to the FDA had stated that they didn’t approve of its use as an artificial sweetener.
I think because it is not technically a sweetner like Stevia or sugar…it’s tricksey, makes you think it’s a sweetner, but it isn’t… it’s a K.G plant. 
HA!
To be approved as a food additive (artificial sweetener), someone must pay for the required safety testing. While there are some studies showing safety, they are not of the type required by the FDA. Back in the '70s, a company was formed that developed a way to process and powder the plant (not a small feat, since the active chemical is destroyed by heat, and the berries are very perishable) but they did not have the resources (money) to get FDA approval.
The FDA is very slow to accept new food items as “ingredients” instead of “food additives”. This is a huge area of contention in the herbal/alternative industry: why should this stevia leaf be a “food additive” when that basil leaf is just “food”? The answer seems to be that longevity of use in mainstream circles indicates safety in a way that some weird furrin’ berry won’t, for a good long time, anyway. (It’s been written about in medical journals since 1852, this isn’t a new discovery.) Of course, one must wonder about the deep pockets and influence of the sugar industry. J&J has the money and clout to get sucralose approved after an absurdly long wait, but for some reason rich folks aren’t interested in stevia* or in miracle fruit.
And, to correct an error in the title: miracle fruit masks SOUR tastes, not BITTER. This was actually a stated concern of the FDA: that children would consume bitter household poisons after consuming miriculin. As it turns out, bitter tastes like that of asprin aren’t affected at all.
*Actually, the lack of interest in stevia I can understand: it’s just not profitable. It’s too easy to grow at home and needs no processing to use. It’s also got a funky aftertaste and a bitter note that comes to the forefront if you use even the teensiest bit too much.
ETA: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB117522147769754148-lMyQjAxMDE3NzM1MDIzMjAxWj.html