Life of Guangzhou - A Magic Fruit with a Sobering Effect

Can you believe it?

A tiny red berry that can turn sour food sweet, make bitter medicines taste good and, above all, sober up a drunk!

Synsepalum dulcificum denill, originating in West Africa (www. ccain.net)

It's no joke. Given as a state gift from Ghana to Premier Zhou, this magical plant was introduced to China in the 1960s.

The plant landed in Guangzhou just one year ago, and the first crop has been eagerly snatched up by local bars.

If you're the favorite guest at a bar and lucky enough, you might be among the few that get a chance to savor this amazing fruit.

By the way, a single berry, which actually is no bigger than a peanut, can cost up to 20 yuan, or three bucks.

Only a few spots of red to be found amongst the green as fruiting season draws near (Guangzhou Daily)

In Guangdong the precious berry is produced at a small farm hiding in pastoral Nan Sha district, south of Guangzhou.

The farm is owned by a 24-year old native. Through fruit sales and echo tourism he has made at least 200,000 Yuan - and visitors and businesses are just beginning to catch on.

When the reporter visited the farm Tuesday, there were few berries remaining, for the fruiting season is just beginning.

The Synsepalum Dulcificum Denill belongs to the Sapotaceae family. While it yields four times a year, the trunk of a 30-year old plant can be quite thin.

(By Yang Quanquan and Stephen Roach)

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