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DENJIRO: Today’s topic is our sense of taste. Joining me is Ms. Ito, a reporter for CHUKYO TV. Welcome.
ITO: Thank you for having me.
DENJIRO: Ms. Ito, do you like lemons?
ITO: Yes, I do.
DENJIRO: Then let’s have a race to see who can eat lemons quicker.
ITO: Okay, I’ll do my best.
DENJIRO: Ready?
ITO: Yes.
DENJIRO: Then let’s go!
ITO: It’s so sour!
BOY: That was amazing, Mr. Denjiro!
DENJIRO: All right. I crushed her! Actually, I had used science to cheat.
I had eaten this beforehand. It’s a fruit called a miracle fruit. You put this in your mouth and roll it around on your tongue. Then, you’ll find that sour foods taste sweet. Why does that happen? Let me give you a simple explanation.
The way you taste things is said to be similar to how a key and lock work. Your tongue has something called “taste buds,” which are like sensors that detect taste. You can think of this as a keyhole. For example, sourness doesn’t fit in a sensor that detects sweetness. It fits in a sourness sensor like a key. When that happens, we feel sourness. However, when you eat a miracle fruit, the “miraculin” in the fruit binds with a sour substance. Then, the substance becomes a match not for a sourness sensor but a sweetness sensor. Therefore, you perceive a sour food as sweet. Now, let’s have Ms. Ito experience the miracle fruit. Put the miracle fruit in your mouth and roll it around on your tongue. Now, try eating that lemon.
ITO: It’s sweet!
DENJIRO: Miracle fruits are easy to obtain, so try it out yourself.
NARRATOR: There’s also research on using miracle fruits as a sweetener for people who need to reduce their sugar intake.
DENJIRO: I hope energy will bring you all happiness. Our magic word is "Happy Energy!"