Today I saw Rachael Ray talking about miracle berries with Ted Allen on her morning show. I loved the reaction of her test group which did the lemon test after trying the berry and I thought Ted Allen did a good job of explaining the back-story behind the miracle fruit. There was one thing that was briefly mentioned that I want to talk about and have everyone help me set the record straight.

So the L.A. Times did a comparison of our miracle fruit tablets last year with an article titled “Miracle fruit taste test: berry vs. tablet” and the results was both the berry and the tablet were equally intense. So what do we really know now after hearing that the tablets are not as effective as the frozen fruit? You be the judge and tell us if Ted Allen was right for saying the frozen berries are better.

On a side note since we’ve been receiving complaints about other brands of miracle berry products please beware of cheap imitation tablets and continue to enjoy mberry responsibly. If you want to check out the Rachael Ray clips on miracle berry just click the link below.

Rachelrayshow.com

MIT is a university that most know for its intellectual prowess and technological advances. As I crossed the threshold that put me onto the famed campus the last thing I was thinking about were geeks and techies. I was headed here for the TEDxCambridge “How Do You Eat” conference.

For one day MIT’s Stata center was transformed into a food science think tank. Some of the brightest minds in the food science community were there to share a message about the exciting emerging sciences behind food. Professors of Neuroscience, Scent Critics, Chefs and CEO’s all speaking about the future of food. The one thing NO ONE saw coming was me and my mberry setup.

Photo by tinochow

The table was covered with lemons, limes, bananas, oranges, pineapple, apples and spicy cheese. Soon I was surrounded by people who were intensely curious to try this mysterious little berry. “Oh my god!” and “Are you kidding me, This is amazing?” became repeated phrases that followed after their mberry experience.

At the end of the day with no fruit left and out of mberries I packed up my things, said my goodbye’s to the folks that I had met and began my four hour drive back to home. As I floated down the road my mind wandered from face to face of the people that I had just met and touched with a newly discovered truth.

Photo by Millee Tibbs

mberry is here to change the way in which we eat and we’ll do it one miracle berry at a time if we have to

Check out the exclusive video of Omar and the Kids here

The following are my thoughts after watching the video and I would love to hear what you think as well.

I’m sure most of us can recall in our childhood being bribed, begged, and even coaxed into eating our fruits and vegetables. I suppose if all that manipulating or bartering with kids to eat healthier actually works we wouldn’t have a childhood obesity epidemic.

The reality is that we have gotten so creative in rewarding kids with sugary and fatty foods when they eat what’s good for them that we’ve literally combined both. Chocolate and strawberry flavored milk, vitamin gummy bears (which seem to be popular amongst adults too), 10% or in some cases zero percent juices, this list goes on and on.

This video was a simple demonstration of how adults can teach kids (and vice versa) about nutrition in a way that’s interesting to kids. What was happening in the short clip was a very effective approach for adults to get kids eating healthier. Rather than telling kids what to eat and what not to eat, almost like telling them we’re refusing them the good stuff, we show them the possibilities that good food brings. Frankly, using unhealthy foods as a reward not only hurts kids but it also teaches them unsustainable values that they carry with them into adulthood.

I really enjoyed Jamie Oliver’s speech at TED this year about fighting childhood obesity but I believe it goes beyond just telling kids to eat their fruit and veggies (Isn’t this what we’ve been doing already?).

We can talk about a “Food Revolution” all we want but solving childhood obesity starts with transforming the way we eat and getting people excited about food. In case you missed it in the Future Food’s video the kids were devouring lemons and saying “It tastes good”, perhaps what we really need is a “Taste Revolution” and just imagine the possibilities if this is how we taught our kids in our schools.

Homaro Cantu, Ben Roche and the amazing people at Moto have asked us to Taste their Revolution and after learning about what’s happening at Moto, I am a believer.

Taste the Revolution

Having been homeless as a child, this episode deals with hunger, a very personal issue for Omar. This episode explores Omar’s idea of how to open the door to ending world hunger through the use of Miracle Fruit, a berry that when eaten does not allow the taste buds to taste sour and bitter.

At MOTO, the team comes up with several dishes to try out on the diners, using plants, cactus, flowers and weeds that are never eaten because of their bitter components.  Later, they hold an event at the beautiful Garfield Conservatory where Omar shares his ideas for using Miracle Fruit to end world hunger.

Creeping Thyme Soup

For those of you who are adventurous and have some cooking skills here is a recipe for delicious Creeping Thyme Soup that was on the show.

Omar’s recipe for Creeping Thyme Soup is not only a meal, but hopefully a miracle invention, too.

Ingredients:
1 pound rinsed, cleaned, and trimmed “Creeping Thyme”
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons salt, (plus more for final seasoning)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Optional:
lemon zest
1/2 cup cubed feta cheese

Procedure:
In a pot, combine water and 1/2 pound of creeping thyme. Cover and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat, allow to sit and infuse for 30 minutes.
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and chill water in the refrigerator.
Once water is cooled, transfer it to a blender.
Add an additional 1/4 pound of creeping thyme to the creeping thyme-flavored water.
Add olive oil, salt and sugar.
Blend for approximately 2 minutes until smooth.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
Taste the soup, add additional salt, sugar or olive oil to taste.
To serve, warm soup and add lemon juice at the last moment before serving.
Serve in a bowl and garnish with lemon zest and feta cheese cubes.

Editor’s Note: When using any wild plant, (whether store-bought or found), make sure to rinse it very well to cleanse them of any dirt or whatever else may be there.

This recipe was featured in the Miracle Food episode of Future Food

Update***
Check out the mberry love going on in this video

Update

The Hulu video is down but here is some mberry eye candy for you

Immediately I remembered one of our mberry retailers telling me about how grapefruit effects some medications so I went on Google to find some answers. It turns out that grapefruit can sometimes block your body’s ability to metabolized certain medications.

For more information please refer to this article link

If you’d like to listen to a podcast of today’s radio show here is the link

The show will be under Wednesday – 11.04.09 HOUR 3

1. Score Purchase your mberries from an Authorized Retailer
2. Set a date for your event and spread the word
3. Inform your guests to bring a pairing item and don’t spoil the surprise
4. Arrange your pairings by category
5. Pass out the mberry and give instructions to your attendees
6. Run don’t walk to the buffet (We suggest sampling foods and drinks before the tripping begins)
7. Find out what everyone enjoyed the most and staff the people who “forgot” to bring something on clean up duty.

While we encourage everyone to be adventurous with their pairings we ask that you eat and drink responsibly. Miracle berry does not change the chemical makeup of food so please inform your guests so you don’t lose any friends.

At mberry we really love to see videos and pictures of your party so please take tons.

m.ber.ry /em-ber’e/

n. a berry, synsepalum dulcificum, from Western Africa that contains the glycoprotein, Miraculin, which alters taste perceptions and turns sour flavors sweet; v. to be subject to taste enlightenment; adj. trippy; syn. miracle fruit, miraculous berry, magic berry

mberry or miracle merry fruit tablets are small, fun, and convenient dissolvable tablets that melt in your mouth.

mberry’s are made with hand selected miracle berries that contain a protein called miraculin that binds to your sweetness receptors and causes them to be stimulated by acidity. Miraculin works by modifying the perception of taste; from sour to sweet. For example, a sour lemon after eating miracle berry will taste sweet like candy.

The berry will also react with the acids in other foods and drinks. Miracle berry also has the function of heightening the natural sweetness of foods we don’t readily associate with being directly sweet or acidic. For example, a raw red bell pepper will still taste like a bell pepper but with a pleasant sweet undertone. The natural  sweetness of chili peppers and tomatoes are also brought out in a similar way.

Miracle berry tablets are made from compressed freeze dried miracle berries. They’re enjoyed by coating the mberry around on your tongue and allowing it to completely dissolve.  The effect of the miracle berry will last about an hour or shorter depending on the person. There are no known long term or permanent side effects from consuming miracle berry and potential health applications are currently being researched.