Filé powder
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For the band, see Filé (band).
Filé powder, also called gumbo filé, is a spice made from dried and ground sassafras leaves. It is used in the making of some types of gumbo, a Creole and Cajun soup/stew. It is sprinkled sparingly over gumbo as a seasoning and a thickening agent, giving it a distinctive flavor and texture. Filé can provide thickening when okra is not in season.[1]
Unlike sassafras roots, sassafras leaves do not contain a detectable amount of safrole.[2] Safrole is toxic to the liver and somewhat carcinogenic.[3][4]
[edit] References
- ^ How to make Homemade File Powder at Nola Cuisine
- ^ Carlson, M; Thompson, Rd (Sep 1997), "Liquid chromatographic determination of safrole in sassafras-derived herbal products" (Free full text), Journal of AOAC International 80 (5): 1023–8, ISSN 1060-3271, PMID 9325580, http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/r?dbs+hsdb:@term+@rn+94-58-6
- ^ Dietz, B; Bolton, Jl (Apr 2007). "Botanical dietary supplements gone bad.". Chemical research in toxicology 20 (4): 586–90. doi:. ISSN 0893-228X. PMID 17362034.
- ^ NTP Report, Safrole, CAS No. 94-59-7
