Thaumatococcus daniellii is a plant species from Africa, known for being the natural source of thaumatin, an intensely sweet protein which is of interest in the development of sweeteners.When the fleshy part of the fruit is eaten, this molecule binds to the tongue's taste buds, causing sour foods to taste sweet.It is a large, rhizomatous, flowering herb native to the rainforests of western Africa from Sierra Leone to Democratic Republic of the Congo.It is also an introduced species in Australia and Singapore.Thaumatococcus daniellii grows three to four meters in height, and has large, papery leaves up to 46 centimeters long.It bears pale purple flowers and a soft fruit containing a few shiny black seeds.

The fruit is covered in a fleshy red aril, which is the part that contains thaumatin.In its native range, the plant has a number of uses besides flavoring.Thaumatococcus danielli fruit plants in Kerala is now available in our farms.