In the photo, the magical fruit looks like a completely ordinary shrub several meters high. In appearance, it can even be confused with barberry. But do not trust the first impression. Real magic only appears when you try its fruits.
What is this fruit?
The magical fruit, or Synsepalum dulcificum, is also called the wonderful berry and sweetish pathium. It belongs to the Sapotov family, which includes many exotic and unusual species, such as a star apple, Shea tree, Turkish delight, spadodilla.
The Synsepalum dulcificum plant is an evergreen shrub with dense leaves and neat white flowers. Its bright red oblong berries look like dogwood or barberry, and their taste is weakly expressed and has a light sweetish tint.
The “magical” ability of the fruits of the tripius is that they change perception for a short while, and the sour food after them seems sweet. Lime, lemon, sorrel, green apples and other products for a short time become completely different and allow you to enjoy other nuances of their taste. The effect lasts from half an hour to an hour, but even in such a short time you can try a ton of everything. The main thing is not to get too carried away and not eat something that can harm the body, because even vinegar with magic berries will get quite a good taste.
The secret of the trip
The amazing properties of the magic fruit went to him due to the presence of miraculin glycoprotein in his cells. Once in the oral cavity, it binds to receptors, which are responsible for the sensation of sweetness, regulating their effect. Interestingly, in a neutral environment, it suppresses them, so products with even a high sugar content seem less saturated than they actually are. In an acidic environment, miraculin has the opposite effect and enhances sweet receptors, drowning out the sour taste.
Where does the wonderful berry grow?
The magical fruit comes from West Africa, where for a long time it was known exclusively to locals. Europeans learned about the miraculous fruits thanks to the French cartographer Chevalier de Marcheiz. In 1725, he explored the African continent and stumbled upon an amazing delicacy that the natives used to consume acidic foods. Most often, the berries were used to sweeten palm wine, a popular alcoholic beverage that is obtained by fermenting coconut juice.
Today, wonderful fruit is grown outside of Africa. Plantations and small gardens where it is cultivated can be found mainly in North America (Puerto Rico, Florida) and in some Asian countries, for example, in Thailand and Japan.
Application
The magic fruit did not gain crazy popularity in the world, but its amazing properties did not go unnoticed by the pharmaceutical and food industries. In a number of countries, its berries are used as a dietary supplement and sweetener for unpleasant tasting drugs. They are recommended for diabetics or people with high blood sugar, as well as those who want to lose weight, but are not able to overcome the obsessive craving for sweets. It helps fruit and cancer patients. It does not eliminate cancer and other serious diseases, but it can block the metallic taste in the mouth, which often appears in people after chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
In addition to the well-known effect, tripria has other advantages. Like many other fruits, it contains vitamins and minerals, amino acids, and fiber, which is useful for the intestines. From it you can prepare various cocktails, pies, desserts and use it as an ordinary product. The action of miraculin will be manifested only in fresh fruits, the shelf life of which is only two to three days. When drying or heat treating berries, the protein breaks down and loses its entire effect.
Own wonder tree
Magic fruit is a tropical plant used to living in conditions of heat and high humidity. But, with some effort, you can grow it in your own apartment. In nature, shrubs prefer medium-acid soils with a pH level of 4.5 - 5.8. It does not tolerate frost and severe cold, but can withstand periods of drought and stay in the shade.
Under natural conditions, a plant can reach 3 to 6 meters in height, but in a house it usually reaches no more than 1.5 meters. Tripria requires frequent watering, but does not tolerate stagnation of moisture. The soil in its pot should be loose, easily pass air and be well-drained. Dry air can lead to yellowing or disease, so at least once a day it must be sprayed.
It grows in the form of a beautiful oval or pyramidal bush with a large number of leaves, which are densely located on the edges of the shoots. But the trip is not in a hurry to grow, it succeeds in reaching about 50-60 centimeters in about five years. It begins to bear fruit much faster than many exotics. Three years after planting, you can see the first magical fruits. To preserve all their excellent properties, it is best to immediately place them in the freezer. So, they will delight you throughout the year.