sassafras tea

Sassafras tea is an herbal infusion brewed from the bark or roots of the sassafras tree, traditionally popular in the American South.

It has a distinctive root beer–like flavor, since sassafras was originally the primary flavoring in root beer.

The FDA banned safrole, the key compound in sassafras, as a potential carcinogen, so commercial versions now use safrole-free extracts: My grandmother used to dig sassafras roots and brew tea every spring.