Abstract
Miracle fruit is a taste modifier. Using twelve types of typical sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami foods, we investigated how their taste intensity and palatability changed after participants tasted miracle fruit. In five sour foods, a decrease in bitter taste intensity and an increase in umami taste intensity were observed as well as a decrease in sour taste intensity and an increase in sweet taste intensity (p<0.01). A further increase in sweet taste intensity was also observed in non-sour foods (p<0.01). Palatability increased in the eight sour foods, whereas no changes in palatability were observed in sweet, salty, bitter and umami foods. After tasting miracle fruit, the participants' perception of bitter and umami taste intensities changed in addition to a change in sweet taste and sour taste intensities.
