notbob wrote:
> Sky > wrote:
>
>> Since both gumbo file' and rootbeer are derived from sassafras, can they
>> be substituted for each other?

File' is made from the almost flavorless leaves that act like starch.
Root been used to be made from the flavor filled root bark.

> Probably not, as I doubt there are any commercial root beers that
> actually include real sassafras. In fact, sassafras was banned as an
> ingredient in root beer until the health food whackos lobbied to turn
> dietary supplements into a dangerous free-for-all. Read the wiki on
> sassafras and follow a few relevent links. Very enlightening.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassafras

About 1990 I read up on saferole and decided to make a couple of
batches of real root beer from scratch using an old recipe. I think
Eric Hughes then at Berkeley posted the book reference on RFC. The
resulting brew was too wierd for anyone who tried it.