DIYbio Taste Tripping Party

Join DIYbio Toronto and Hacklab for a taste-tripping party! Based on tablets of Synsepalum ducificum, commonly known the miracle fruit, you'll be eating lemons like they are candy! The fruit has been used by people since at least the 18th century to make acidic foods taste sweet.

In addition to a tablet of the berry, your $10 ticket includes a variety of foods and beverages for you to sample while 'tripping', including:

Lemons and Limes

Oranges

Grapefruit

Onions

Sour Apples

Lemonade

Olives

Strawberries

Cheese (Blue)

Beer (maybe Guinness, for tasting only)

Wine

Salt and Vinegar Chips

Pickles

apple cider vinegar

Chocolate

Sour Candy

Cherry Flavored Soda

For you science buffs (let's face it: all of us), Wired has an interesting description of how it works (http://www.wired.com/2011/09/sweet-sour-berry/):

"The researchers used a system of cultured cells that let them test human taste receptors at various levels of acidity and alkalinity. They found that miraculin binds strongly to the sweet taste buds (specifically hT1R2-hT1R3) but — unlike sugar or aspartame — doesn’t activate them at a neutral pH. Introduce acid, though, and the protein shifts shape in a way that “turns on” the taste bud, creating a sensation of ultra-sweet that drowns out the sour.

When the sour, acidic food is swallowed, the miraculin returns to its old inactive shape and remains firmly bound to the sweet receptor for about an hour or so, lying in wait for another acidic treat."

A note on payment: you can paypal NOW, or we're happy to accept $10 at the door. But please only RSVP if you intend to attend: we're purchasing tablets and food based on the RSVPs! Paypal payments are to [masked], I am acting as treasurer for DIYbio until such a time as we're incorporated...