What is sassafras???

Question

That's real great joshua, but have you ever had it?

Answer 1

yellowwood tree with brittle wood and aromatic leaves and bark

Answer 2

Sassafras is a tree.  Beautiful..

Victoria, Australia,  Sassafras is a small suburb in the hills. Also beautiful and picturesque

Oops, I should have taken more notice, you did post this in Drinks.

Sorry, I don't think I have ever tried to drink it.

Answer 3

To make the sassafras tea, one uses a root (I think! LOL).. it tastes just like rootbeer without the carbs... There is a pioneer homestead near where I grew up.. in the summer they serve sassafras when you tour.. in the winter.. it's hot cocoa.. it's beautiful at Christmas time - they have a pioneer Christmas and everyone's invited..

From :  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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]

Sassafras tea can also be used as blood thinner.

Sassafras was a commodity prized in Europe as a cure for Gonorrhea[7].

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Oh, James... be careful.. I didn't know this ...

"It is estimated that a few drops of sassafras oil are sufficient to kill a toddler and as little as one teaspoonful has proved fatal in an adult. Symptoms of poisoning are described as vomiting, stupor, and collapse. High doses may cause spasms followed by paralysis. Large amount of the oil are reported to be psychoactive with the hallucinogenic effects lasting for several days." (Newall)

*It's also apparently the base of the drug ecstasy.. LOL.. who knew?

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Haha.. I guarantee you can go to the homestead this weekend and drink sassafras tea, ban by the FDA or no... LOL..  I've sure drank my share of it... perhaps they really sell a "synthetic" flavoring sassafras tea there and you just think it's the real deal?  LOL...