Sassafras Leaf

Sassafras Root Bark - SASSAFRAS ALBIDUM (Cut & Sifted) (Wild Crafted) Available in 1 OZ COMMON NAME Standardized: sassafrasOther: file BOTANICAL NAME Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) NeesPlant Family: Lauraceae    INTRODUCTION 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. CONSTITUENTS Alpha-pinene, anethole, apiole, asarone, beta-sitosterol, boldine, caryophyllene, elemicin, eugenol, mucilage, myristicin, reticule, safrene, safrole, tannins, thujone. PARTS USED Leaf. TYPICAL PREPARATIONS