Filé Powder

Filé powder, also called gumbo filé, is a seasoning made by drying and grinding the leaves of the North American sassafras tree. It was first used by Choctaw communities of the American South, in what is now Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, who ground dried sassafras leaves as both a flavoring and a thickener. The powder is stirred sparingly into gumbo, the Creole stew of Louisiana, where it lends an earthy, slightly bitter flavor and a characteristic ropy thickness, drawn from the French word filé, the past participle of filer, to spin into threads. Gumbo is traditionally classified by which thickener a cook uses, filé powder or okra, and filé remains one of the defining seasonings of Louisiana Creole cooking.