View source for Filé powder

'''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 [[Cajun]] soup/stew. It is sprinkled sparingly over gumbo as a [[seasoning]] and a [[thickening agent]], giving it a distinctive flavor and texture. Filé was originally an [[okra]] substitute when okra was not in season.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}

[[Safrole]], the main constituent of sassafras oil which is distilled from the bark of sassafras roots, has been shown to cause [[liver cancer]] in laboratory rats.<ref>McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1997:152-4.</ref> However, sassafras leaves are free of safrole and are safe for consumption.{{Fact|date=September 2007}}

==External links==
*[http://www.nolacuisine.com/2006/07/03/homemade-file-powder/ How to make Homemade File Powder at Nola Cuisine]

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Spices]]
[[Category:Edible thickening agents]]
[[Category:Louisiana cuisine]]