Talk:Filé powder

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Untitled[edit]

"Traditionally, filé powder is made from sassafras, which has been shown to cause liver cancer in laboratory studies [...]"

"Filé powder has also been made traditionally from Sassafras leaves, which do not contain safrole, the volatile oil linked with cancer in lab rats. [...]"

So, what is the deal here; does sassafras leaves contain the, possibly, cancer causing safrole oil, or does it not? Quite 14:50, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's apparently carcinogenic to some degree, and manufacture of the product is discouraged, or even prohibited. Trafficking in saffrole is monitored by the FDA. See the article on Sassafras. --

Firstly, please remember to sign your posts. Now, from the article on "Sassafras":

 "The roots of Sassafras can be steeped to make tea and were used in the flavoring of root beer 
 until being banned by the FDA. Laboratory animals that were given oral doses of sassafras tea or 
 sassafras oil that contained safrole developed permanent liver damage or various types of cancer. 
 In humans, liver damage can take years to develop and it may not have obvious signs.
 
 In 1960, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of sassafras oil and safrole 
 in foods and drugs based on the animal studies and human case reports. Several years later, the 
 sale of sassafras oil, roots, or tea was prohibited by law. Subsequently, both Canada and the 
 United States have passed laws against the sale of any consumable products (beverages, foods, 
 cosmetics, health products such as toothpaste, and others) that contain more than specific small 
 amounts of safrole.[6]"

So safrole oil content is limited in products produced by/sold in the United States. Now, note the "Origin" of this Filé powder examplethat I quickly pulled off Froogle. If you don't feel like clicking links, I'll save you the time and tell you that it is produced in (shock and amazement!) the United States. Simple deductive reasoning leads me to conclude that: All US food products are screened for the toxic Safrole; this Filé powder is a US food product; therefore, this Filé powder is within the legally established limits for Safrole. One could assume that ALL similar Filé powders would also fall within safe limits. --MuséeRouge (talk) 15:19, 20 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Sprinkled sparingly? In what recipe? The recipe handed down through my family requires quite generous amounts of file.

Probably because filé is a very powerful thickener

Filé was originally an okra substitute when okra was not in season

Alton Brown seemed to believe that filé powder may have been used before okra. Being that Sassafras was a local ingrediant known to the natives and probably more plentiful than the african imported okra.

No substitute[edit]

Filé powder was used in Cajun cooking by the Acadians long before okra was used as a thickening agent. The Choctaw Indians introduced this spice to the Acadians when they arrived in Louisiana. Okra is a continuously growing crop and does not have a "season", thus negating the notion that filé was a substitute for okra. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.143.90.214 (talk) 13:47, 9 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Taste[edit]

Not enough is said about the taste except that it's "earthy". Maikel (talk) 12:24, 31 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]

It's reminiscent of Oolong tea, but I'm not a reputable source! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 158.111.236.68 (talk) 20:29, 10 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]