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Fruit Pulps Guests are invited to eat the grape-sized berries and then sample aselection of food and drink, from chilli sauce to Irish stout, andrevel in the distorted flavours. Franz Aliquo, one party organiser, hands his customers a berry eachthen ushers them toward a table laden with citrus wedges, cheeses,Brussels sprouts, mustard, vinegars, pickles, dark beers,strawberries and cheap tequila. The 32-year-old, who holds the events in Long Island City, Queens,said: "You pop it in your mouth and scrape the pulp off the seed,swirl it around and hold it in your mouth for about a minute, thenyou're ready to go." One guest, Yuka Yoneda, claimed the fruit made Tabasco sauce tastelike "hot doughnut glaze", while another, Carrie Dashow, said aglass of Guinness became like a "chocolate shake". In Britain the demand has also begun to take off and the country'stwo main suppliers have warned customers that they will have towait weeks before getting any. Chris Barr, a former IT specialist from London, has been sellingthe berries from his website miraclefruit.co.uk for just a few months. He said: "I was lucky to make ￡5 a day at first, but in thepast couple of weeks it has gone nuts. I am selling thousands ofpounds worth in a week, literally kilos every day." The berries may also have significant health benefits. It ispossible they could be used as a natural sweetener in foods fordiabetics or as a supplement to help people lose weight withoutbeing tempted by sugary treats. Some fruit growers even claim the berries are popular with cancerpatients who undergo chemotherapy, because they can help diminishthe unpleasant aftertaste. However, these effects are yet to be backed up by scientificevidence.