Filé powder, also known as gumbo filé, is an herbal powder made from the dried and ground leaves of the sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum), native to eastern North America. The roots and bark of this same plant were the original base for root beer.Click to see full answer. Likewise, what is the purpose of gumbo file?File ‘, also called gumbo file’, is a spice made from dried and ground sassafras leaves. It is used in making gumbos of the Cajun and Creole type and is utilized primarily as a thickener. A teaspoon added to your gumbo in the bowl and stirred in with a little Tabasco sauce makes for a really special dish.Subsequently, question is, what does gumbo file taste like? File powder smells like eucalyptus or Juicy Fruit gum, and has a distinctive “root beer” flavor. The earthy taste of file powder is similar to thyme combined with savory. Sprinkle file powder sparingly over gumbo as a seasoning and a thickening agent, stirring it in at the end of your cooking. Similarly, you may ask, what can I use in place of gumbo file? For a thickening substitute you can use okra (typically included in Gumbo). You’ll need about 2 cups to replace 1 tablespoon of file powder. OR – Use cornstarch (lacks the root-beer like flavor). You’ll need to mix 2 teaspoons with about 1 tablespoon of water to replace 1 tablespoon of file powder.Is file powder illegal?Sassafras has been found by the FDA to contain Saffrole, and supposed carcinogenic and so has been banned, this means that gumbo file powder is illegal. Gumbo File powder used for thickening soups, most especially Cajun Gumbo, is made from picking the tiny, immature, spring leaves and drying them, then powdering them.

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