At my current age, I feel that I am old enough to not have to eat things I do not like. This was not always the case though, and there were some meals throughout my childhood that earned various monikers based on edibility. But what if there was something that made unpalatable food taste good? Enter miraculin.
Miraculin is a glycoprotein derived from the fruit of the Synsepalum dulcificum, a plant found primarily in West Africa. The substance has little taste but binds strongly to sweet receptors on the tongue. In and of itself, this has no effect on taste. However, when introduced to an acid, the protein changes shape in such a way that it activates the sweet receptors. So foods which were previously acidic and sour, now have a sweet taste to them, all without the addition of additional sugar.
The protein is heat labile, but that doesn't exactly prevent it from maintaining its effectiveness for approximately an hour until saliva ultimately washes it away.
"Miracle Fruit" or not, I'm still not going to eat brussel sprouts.