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sassafras tea ?
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Posted by dirtgirl So. Illinois (My Page) on Tue, Mar 22, 05 at 14:09
I have never tried making it myself, and was sitting here with my sore throat thinking how nice some hot tea would be. There was an article in the local paper about an elderly lady in the area that was so pleased when some friends brought her a bit of fresh sassafras root--it reminded her of younger days when the tea was a treat in the springtime as a tonic. I wonder what it tastes like. I have always liked reaching up and grabbing a handful of fresh leaves to rub on my skin in the summer when I've been sweating; that fresh almost citrusy smell is so wonderful. I guess those oils must also be partly responsible for the smell a offended swallowtail puts out from that gland behind its head. Don't think I'll be dabbing a moody caterpillar on my wrist--the effect is not the same.
Sassafras abounds here...all I need are directions from those of you that would care to tell me how to do it. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: sassafras tea ?
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| I haven't tried this myself. I do know the aromatic compound, safrole, is rather toxic and has been found to be a carcinogen. One exposure probably won't do any harm but you should be aware of the danger. It was the original flavoring for root beer. Dried sassafras leaves were the main thickening agent for gumbo (filè) and I think some people still use it. A nice herbal tea for sore throat can be made from the inner bark of slippery elm. Health food stores probably carry it in one form or another, often mixed with licorice or anise seed. |
RE: sassafras tea ?
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really?? Gumbo??
I had no idea. So many natural foodstuffs and extracts and medicinal things just outside the door, yet the knowledge to safely use them is so faded. |
RE: sassafras tea ?
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| I use gumbo file (powdered sassafras leaves) for my gumbo - it adds a super flavor and thickens it right up. You can buy it from Penzey's. Makes me feel like I'm in Louisiana! Or so I suppose, since I'm a Yankee through and through. |
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