what is sarsaparilla soda made of
Sarsaparilla and root beer are made from the roots of native North American plants. Both originated as tonics and were highly prized for their medicinal value. Sarsaparilla is made from the sarsaparilla vine, while root beer was originally made from the roots of the sassafras tree. Modern root beers do not contain sassafras because of potential health risks of the plant.
1 Sarsaparilla has a distinct medicinal bite with notes of vanilla, caramel, wintergreen, and licorice. 2  We looked at how assertive these flavors made themselves known on the palate and how well they combined to make a balanced, well-rounded soda.