For weeks we were teased by the "Super ultra premium special tasting spectacular" that showed up on our office calendar. When Jamin received a mysterious package in the mail with dry ice in it, we were even more intrigued. We showed up to the cupping room with cupping spoons in hand only to see this

On the table was a spread of apples, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, cherries, grapes, kiwi, raspberries, blueberries, currents, tomatoes, plain yogurt, goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, pickles, jalapenos, vinegar chips, beer, and coffee. The key here was high acidity. Not quite sure what was happening, Jamin popped a small piece of fruit into our mouths that resembled a coffee cherry and went on to explain...

This fruit is called Synsepalum dulcificum, some call it the "Miracle Fruit." We chewed on the fleshy part of the fruit for about two minutes and then spit out the seed that was inside. The fruit alters the tongue's ability to experience sour foods and tricks it into thinking that it is sweet. I think the exercise was in violation of our tongue insurance policy but don't be alarmed, the effects only last about an hour.

This is Jason sucking on the fruit. He says, "Mm, tastes like cranberries!"

After eating the fruit we were let loose on the table. The first thing we all tried was the lemons. They tasted like lemon drops! I started slurping up all of the juice that was sitting in the tray...lemonade!

Anne is still deciding what she thinks about the oranges while Jenni has made up her mind about the apple.

Here is Donna with a fake smile thinking to herself, "this is what they do in here everyday!?" Jamin blowing on a blueberry (?) and me raising my hand when Amanda asked who felt like there was a fruit tornado brewing in their tummy.

Amanda and Anne are hotter than the hot peppers!

The fruits tasted like they were candied, the tomatoes like a good sweet marinara, the dairy was like cheesecake and the balsamic like sweet vegetable juice (when it hit the throat, it turned back into vinegar-cough-choke). The dill pickles turned into bread and butter pickles and the jalapenos tasted like sweet peppers only ones that left your mouth burning. The chips were a group favorite, the perfect combo of salt and sweet. No points for the beer and the coffee. The coffee (a Kenyan) tasted like a cheap piece of "cappuccino dream" hard candy. The beer was just plain gross.

We've heard of this fruit before and recalled a NYT article about people throwing miracle fruit parties. You can buy these beans off the internet but they are spendy. It would certainly make for a trippy cupping session. Hm...the Roasters Guild Retreat is right around the corner...