Miracle Fruit Fans

The miracle fruit, or miracle berry was first documented by the French explorer Chevalier des Marchais who travelled extensively along the west coast of Africa, the West Indies and the northwest coast of South America between 1704 and 1727, under service to the King of France.  During an excursion in 1725 in West Africa, des Marchais discovered the natives chewing the berry prior to consuming sour palm wine (beer) and fermented maize bread. 

There are no records of des Marchais’ attempts to lay claim to the fruit by naming it or even fully describing it.  It actually was not properly identified and named until the mid 19th century by Dr. W. F. Daniell who discovered it while being stationed in an outpost in West Africa.  Published in 1852 in the Pharmaceutical Journal, Vol. Xl, Dr. Daniell called it the “miraculous berry” with the Latin name, Synsepalum dulcificum.  It is a member of the Sapotaceae family, relative of the sapodilla (Manilkara zapota).

Founder of the Rare Fruit Council, William Whitman was the first to grow the plant successfully in the United States after experiencing first-hand during a tour of the Panama Canal Zone Summit Gardens.  The story of his encounter happened during a tour of the gardens in 1952.  The director of the gardens introduced Whitman to a five foot evergreen bush, covered with small, dark green leaves and red berries, the size of coffee beans. Whitman sampled the berries and found them rather nondescript and moved to the next specimen, a Key lime which the director declared was a rare and unique sweet lime.  Dubious, the skeptical Mr. Whitman tasted this rare lime and could not believe how incredibly sweet and delicious it tasted. Only after eating several more of these delightful sweet limes was he informed of the miracle fruit.