Filé powder
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.34
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:10.1021/tx7000527. ISSN 0893-228X. PMID 17362034.
- ^ NTP Report, Safrole, CAS No. 94-59-7