Sarsaparilla

sarsaparilla an extract from the roots of various C. American plants of the genus Smilax, especially S. officinalis and S. rotundifolia, used as a bitter ingredient in soft drinks. The plants are prickly, creeping shrubs.

The name comes from the Spanish words zarza (bramble) and parilla (little vine). It was bestowed by the Spaniards when they arrived in C. America, found the product already in use, and took it up themselves, mainly for medicinal use. During the rise of the soft drinks industry in the USA in the second half of the 19th century, it was customary to claim health-giving properties for the drinks, and many of them were based on or named for sarsaparilla, which was thought to be beneficial. Research in the 20th century established that sarsaparilla contains certain saponins, a group of substances of which some have medical significance, but that those present in sarsaparilla are responsible for the bitter flavour and do not promote health.