Filé
powder is made form ground sassafras leaves that
was used to give root beer its distinctive flavor
before artificial flavorings replaced it. Southerners
add filé to their gumbos to thicken and flavor
them.
The powder gets stringy when it's
heated, so add it only after you've removed the
gumbo from the heat source. Filé also doesn't
reheat well, so add only to the gumbo that you are
planning to serve.
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