Fact Check: Post showing blue-colored fruit named Moon melon is fake, there is no such fruit

A viral post on social media shows a blue-colored fruit. The text accompanied by the fruit claims that the fruit is moon melon. It is scientifically known as asidus. It further states that the fruit grows in Japan and it switches flavors after you eat. Vishvas News investigated and found that the viral post is fake.

Claim

A post shared on social media purports to show a blue-colored fruit. The text in the post reads: Moonmelon (scientifically knows as asidus). This fruit grows in some parts of Japan and is known for its vibrant blue color. This fruit’s party trick is that it can switch flavors after you eat it. Everything sour will taste sweet, everything salty will taste bitter, and it gives water a strong orange-like taste! Bucket list fruit!

Investigation

Vishvas News started its investigation by searching the viral claim over the internet. We found that the post is circulating all across social media with different versions.

Other versions:

Here is another version of the same post: This a Moonmelon, scientifically knows as asidus. This fruit grows in some parts of Japan, and it’s known for it’s weird blue color what you probably don’t know about this fruit, is that it can switch flavors after you eat it, everything sour will taste sweet, and everything salty will taste bitter and it gives water a strong orange-like taste, this fruit is Very expensive, and it coasts about ?16000 JPY (which is about 200 dollars).

The popular viral image has been circulating since 2011. We searched and found that “Asidus” isn’t the scientific name of any real fruit.

It is further claimed that Moonmelon can switch flavors after you eat it. But, when Vishvas News investigated, we found that there is a fruit that alters the flavor profiles of anything tasted afterward. However, that fruit isn’t a moon melon. It is actually a small red berry called miracle fruit.

As per wired.com, when you pop a red miracle berry into your mouth, for up to an hour, it’s juices coat your tongue and previously sour foods like lemon and vinegar magically taste deliciously sweet. The berry and its plant (Richardella dulcifica) grow in West Africa.

So, yes there exists a fruit that hacks your taste buds. But, it isn’t moon melon, it actually is red miracle berry.

As per Britannica, Miracle fruit, (Synsepalum dulcificum), also called miracle berry, evergreen shrub of the family Sapotaceae, grown for its mild fruits that make subsequently eaten sour foods taste sweet. The miracle fruit plant is native to tropical West Africa, where it is used locally to sweeten palm wine and other beverages. The unrelated sweet prayer plant (Thaumatococcus daniellii) is also known as miracle fruit for its similar ability to make sour foods taste sweet.

Vishvas News spoke to Mr. Neeraj Kant, Assistant Director (Horticulture) at NDMC. He said: This viral picture showing the fruit named Moonmelon is fake and seems digitally manipulated. No such fruit exists.

Conclusion

The post showing a blue-colored food named blue moon melon is fake. It is a digitally manipulated photo.