Filé

filé also called filé powder or gumbo filé, consisted of sassafras leaves, dried and reduced to a powder which is used to thicken, and also to flavour, dishes such as soups, stews, and gumbos (see okra). Some describe the aroma as like eucalyptus, others as a cross between thyme and savory. Unlike the sassafras root and root bark, leaves contain insufficient safrol to constitute a health risk.

In using the term, the Louisiana French have adapted to a new purpose the past participle of the French verb filer, meaning to spin thread. When boiled, it causes the liquid it thickens to go stringy. Hence it is added at the end of the cooking process.