what is file spice
File' File' (pronounced fee-lay) is the traditional table condiment used on gumbo. Because of this, sometimes it is called gumbo file. The early Cajuns learned to use file' from the Choctaw Indians of the Gulf coast, who evidently used it to thicken soups. File' is ground sassafras (Sassafras albidum) leaves. Sassafras albidum (for more complete information) Sassafras is a small inconspicuous deciduous tree.