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During the mid 1600s the Sassafras tree was one of the leading exports to Europe, given its many uses. Not only does this tree have many medicinal values, but it can also be used to spice foods.
Sassafras is a sturdy tree found in the bayous of Louisiana. When the tree is young, its leaves are shaped like “mittens,” sometimes with two “thumbs.” As the tree matures, sometimes reaching a height of 100 feet (30 meters) and a trunk diameter of up to 6 feet (200 cm), the leaves grow more rounded, free of indentation. Cajun cuisine uses sassafras leaf to make file (FEE-lay), the seasoning and thickening agent for gumbo. The early Cajuns learned to use file’ from the Choctaw Indians of the Gulf coast, who evidently used it to thicken soups.
During the mid 1600s the Sassafras tree was one of the leading exports to Europe, given its many uses. Not only does this tree have many medicinal values, but it can also be used to spice foods. Oil can also be extracted from the bark of the Sassafras tree, and of course, it can be made into tea.
Sassafras tea was one of the more popular beverages at the time, not only because it contained many health benefits, but because it was delicious! The shoots of this trees also gave birth to the original flavor of the soft drink called root beer.
