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 thick Cajun soup. It is sprinkled sparingly over gumbo as a flavoring and thickening agent, giving it a distinctive flavor and texture. Mixing okra and filé is considered a cardinal sin in Louisianan cuisine, as filé was originally an okra substitute when okra was not in season.

Safrole, the main constituent of sassafras oil which is distilled from the bark of sassafras roots, has been shown to cause liver cancer in laboratory rats^*, and this has caused concern over the use of filé powder. For this reason, major grocery-store spice brands sell a mixture of other herbs as filé powder. However, sassafras leaves contain little or no safrole. Genuine sassafras is available from specialty suppliers and is used extensively in Louisiana.

References

1. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1997:152-4.

Spices | Edible thickening agents | Louisiana cuisine