Flavor tripping. It sounds like an illicit activity or at the very least, a farce. That’s what I thought when I first heard about the flavor tripping parties at Three Sheets, a trendy bar and lounge that opened in Sandy Springs in May. But mama always said it doesn’t hurt to try, so I embarked on my first “flavor trip” with low expectations.
It started with a pea-size red berry from West Africa called miracle fruit. Along with about 20 other flavor trippers, I was instructed to bite into it and roll the pulp, called miraculin, around my tongue for 30 seconds to one minute, before spitting it out and letting the miraculin’s magical powers bind with my taste buds. The next thing I knew, lemon wedges tasted sweet enough to suck, and limes reminded me of a sugary mojito.
I later learned that this 100 percent legal “trip” was a result of the miraculin tricking my taste buds into perceiving sour flavors as sweet.
Next up, Three Sheets Executive Chef Josh Carden delivered plate after plate of goodies. A slice of grapefruit tasted like sugar, a Granny Smith apple like caramel.
“This is something no one else in Atlanta is doing – and it’s definitely a trip,” Carden said.
After the first round of tastes, we reinforced our “trip” with the pulp of a second berry. This time, goat cheese tasted like cream cheese frosting, cottage cheese as sweet as pie, and strawberry slices like they were dipped in sugar. A bite of toast with melted bleu cheese was flavored like nothing I’ve ever tasted before.
“People really find it shocking,” said Ryan Akly, Three Sheets co-owner, who learned about flavor tripping after reading a New York Times article about it a few years ago.
The final round of tastes primarily consisted of condiments and alcoholic drinks. A miniature sour apple martini had an overly sweet syrupy flavor, a shot of merlot was buttery, and my personal favorite, Guinness with lemon sorbet, could have been a milkshake.
To paraphrase the Grateful Dead, what a long, strange trip it was.
EVENT PREVIEW
Miracle Fruit Flavor Tripping Party. 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. July 21, July 28, Aug. 4. $20. Reservations required. Three Sheets, 6017 Sandy Springs Circle, Sandy Springs. 404-303-8423, www.threesheetsatlanta.com .
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