Long before sassafras became something we might notice along a woodland trail, it was one of the most valuable plants in early colonial America.
Today, we know sassafras for its unmistakable fragrance, mitten-shaped leaves, brilliant fall color, and its connection to old-fashioned root beer. In Louisiana and the Gulf South, its dried leaves became filé, an important ingredient in Creole and Cajun cooking.
But sassafras also has a remarkable place in the story of Jamestown.
Sassafras and the Early Jamestown Economy
When the English established Jamestown in 1607, the Virginia Company was desperately looking for products that could make the struggling colony profitable. Before tobacco transformed Virginia's economy, colonists experimented with a variety of commodities, including glass, lumber, pitch and tar, soap ashes—and sassafras.
Sassafras was particularly valuable because Europeans had developed a fascination with the plant's supposed medicinal properties. Its roots and bark were shipped back across the Atlantic, where sassafras was sometimes valued almost like a precious commodity. Historic Jamestowne notes that sassafras was at times considered worth its weight in gold because it was believed to have medicinal powers.
For a brief period in the early seventeenth century, sassafras was the second-largest export from the British colonies in North America, behind tobacco.
That makes the humble sassafras tree a surprisingly important part of Virginia's early economic history.
Historical records indicate that sassafras was especially abundant around Jamestown and the surrounding Powhatan region. Colonists gathered the roots and bark for shipment to England. In fact, sassafras and tobacco were among the few Virginia commodities that initially brought reliable profits when sold in England.
The irony is that sassafras could not be harvested indefinitely. The valuable bark was taken from the tree, meaning that each harvested tree represented a permanent loss. As demand increased, supplies became harder to find. Historical accounts describe shipments declining dramatically as the easiest sources were exhausted.
Then tobacco took over.
John Rolfe's experiments with a Caribbean variety of tobacco eventually produced Virginia's first great cash crop. By 1617, Virginia exported 20,000 pounds of tobacco to England, and the quantities increased dramatically in the years that followed.
Sassafras faded from its position as a major colonial export, but it never disappeared from the kitchen.
A Note About Sassafras, Safrole, and the Cancer Studies
There is an important distinction to make when discussing the safety of sassafras: the concern is primarily about safrole, not about the sassafras tree itself.
Safrole is a naturally occurring compound found in sassafras, particularly in the essential oil and in the roots and root bark. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists safrole as a prohibited food ingredient under 21 CFR 189.180.
That prohibition is largely based on laboratory research. The National Toxicology Program classifies safrole as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” based on sufficient evidence from experimental animal studies. When animals were given relatively high levels of safrole, researchers observed liver tumors, including hepatocellular carcinomas, in rats and mice.
It is important, however, to understand what those studies do—and do not—tell us. The NTP notes that no epidemiological studies were identified that specifically evaluated the relationship between safrole exposure and cancer in humans. In other words, the classification is based on the animal evidence rather than a demonstrated cancer risk from ordinary human consumption of sassafras leaves.
What about the leaves?
This is where sassafras deserves a more careful discussion.
The FDA does not list “sassafras leaves” as a prohibited food ingredient. Instead, its food-substance database specifically lists “sassafras leaves (safrole-free)” as a flavoring agent or adjuvant under 21 CFR 172.510.
That is quite different from the FDA listing for safrole itself, which is explicitly prohibited.
Sassafras leaves also contain considerably less safrole than the plant's root and root bark. One analytical study cited in the FDA literature found safrole below the detection limit in most sassafras leaf samples tested, while root-bark products could contain substantially greater amounts.
That doesn't mean that every wild sassafras leaf can automatically be described as “safrole-free.” Wild plants can vary in their chemical composition, which is why the FDA's regulatory listing specifically refers to safrole-free sassafras leaves.
For this reason, it is more accurate to say that the FDA prohibition is on safrole, not on sassafras leaves as a plant part.
Why the roots are a different story
The historical use of sassafras root is particularly interesting because the same aromatic compound that helped give traditional sassafras beverages their characteristic flavor—safrole—is the compound that ultimately changed how those beverages were made.
Sassafras root and root bark can contain much higher concentrations of safrole than the leaves. Safrole was once widely used to flavor root beer and sassafras tea, but its use as a food ingredient was prohibited in the United States in 1960.
Modern root beer can still capture the traditional flavor using other flavoring ingredients or safrole-free sassafras extracts. The FDA food-substance database specifically lists safrole-free sassafras bark extract as a flavoring agent.
So the story of sassafras isn't simply a story about a “cancer-causing plant.” It is a story about a particular naturally occurring compound, the concentration of that compound in different parts of the plant, experimental research, and the way food regulations changed traditional recipes.
For those interested in the culinary traditions surrounding sassafras, this distinction matters. The leaves used historically for tea and filé are not the same thing as consuming concentrated sassafras root or sassafras oil.
As with any wild food, proper identification and moderation are important, and anyone with particular health concerns should consult a qualified healthcare professional before regularly consuming herbal preparations.
Harvesting Sassafras Leaves
One of the wonderful things about sassafras is that you don't have to dig up a tree to enjoy its culinary history.
The leaves are distinctive and easy to recognize once you become familiar with the tree. A single sassafras tree can produce several leaf shapes: the familiar mitten, a three-lobed leaf, and a simple oval leaf.
Young leaves are tender and aromatic and can be gathered during the growing season from healthy, positively identified trees growing in clean areas where harvesting is permitted.
Before harvesting any wild plant, make absolutely certain of its identification. Avoid plants growing beside roadsides or in areas that may have been treated with herbicides or pesticides.
Sassafras Leaf Tea
The leaves can be used to make a light, fragrant tea.
Unlike the traditional preparations made from sassafras roots, which are associated with safrole concerns, a leaf infusion is much gentler. Historical and analytical information shows that sassafras leaves contain far less safrole than the roots and root bark, with safrole below the detection limit in most leaf samples examined in one FDA study.
That said, I prefer to describe sassafras leaf tea as a traditional food use rather than making a blanket claim that every sassafras leaf from every tree is completely free of safrole. Safrole itself is prohibited as a food ingredient, while safrole-free sassafras leaves are recognized by the FDA for appropriate flavoring use.
A Simple Leaf Tea
Gather several young, clean sassafras leaves.
Place them in a cup or small teapot and cover with hot water. Allow the leaves to steep for several minutes, then strain.
The resulting tea is delicate and aromatic, with the characteristic sassafras fragrance. A little honey makes a pleasant addition, and lemon can brighten the flavor.
This is one of those preparations where simplicity works best.
The Sassafras Connection to Root Beer
When people hear the word sassafras, many immediately think of root beer.
There is a good reason.
Traditional root beer recipes often included sassafras root along with other roots, bark, herbs, spices, and sweeteners. The distinctive flavor of sassafras became so closely associated with the beverage that the name "root beer" still evokes that old-fashioned flavor today.
There is an important modern distinction, however.
Sassafras root and root bark can contain substantial amounts of safrole. The FDA prohibits safrole as a food ingredient.
Modern root beer therefore uses other flavoring ingredients or safrole-free sassafras preparations. Safrole-free sassafras bark extract is recognized for food flavoring use.
For a modern homemade root beer, use a commercially prepared food-grade, safrole-free sassafras flavoring rather than digging roots and making a concentrated root decoction.
That allows us to recreate the flavor without recreating the safety problems associated with historical root preparations.
Sassafras and Creole Cooking
If sassafras has a signature culinary contribution today, it may be found farther south, in Louisiana.
The dried and powdered leaves of sassafras are called filé—pronounced fee-LAY.
Filé is closely associated with Louisiana Creole and Cajun cooking and is particularly famous as an ingredient in gumbo. The word gumbo itself is connected to the Choctaw word for sassafras, reflecting the deep history of the plant in the region's food traditions.
Making Filé Powder
Harvest clean, healthy sassafras leaves during the growing season.
Dry the leaves thoroughly in a clean, well-ventilated place away from direct sunlight. They should become completely crisp.
Once dry, remove the stems and grind the leaves into a fine powder.
Store the finished filé in an airtight container away from heat, moisture, and direct light.
The flavor is earthy, herbal, and distinctive. It is not something you need in large quantities.
A Simple Creole-Style Gumbo With Filé
Here's a straightforward way to experience sassafras in the kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken or seafood stock
- 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
- 1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
- 1–2 cups okra, sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Cayenne pepper, optional
- Cooked rice, for serving
- Sassafras filé, for serving
Method
Start by making the roux.
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and gradually whisk in the flour. Stir constantly, patiently cooking the mixture until it develops a rich brown color. This is the foundation of the gumbo, so don't rush it or walk away.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook until the vegetables soften, then add the garlic.
Gradually stir in the stock. Add the sausage, chicken, okra, thyme, and bay leaf.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer and cook until the flavors come together and the gumbo reaches the consistency you like. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Serve over cooked rice.
And here's where the sassafras comes in:
Sprinkle a little filé over each serving just before eating. Make sure to remove from the heat before adding.
Filé contributes both flavor and thickening power, so you don't need much. Let everyone add it to their own bowl according to taste.
From Colonial Medicine to the Modern Kitchen
The story of sassafras is much bigger than root beer.
It was a plant that Indigenous peoples already knew and used long before European colonization. European settlers adopted some of those uses, and sassafras quickly became an object of fascination in Europe.
For the struggling Jamestown colony, it became a valuable commodity. For a brief period, it ranked behind tobacco among the most important exports from the British colonies.
And then, as tobacco became Virginia's economic engine, sassafras moved into another chapter of its story.
Its leaves continued to flavor food.
Its fragrance became part of traditional teas and beverages.
And in Louisiana, its powdered leaves became filé, helping define one of America's great regional cuisines.
Today, we can walk into the woods and find the same tree that early Virginia colonists prized so highly.
We can identify the mitten-shaped leaves.
We can smell that unmistakable sweet, spicy fragrance.
And, with a little knowledge and respect for both tradition and modern food safety, we can bring a small piece of that history into our own kitchens.
From Jamestown's early export trade to a bowl of Creole gumbo, sassafras has traveled a remarkable culinary journey.