SC - Root Beer

[Elaine Koogler]

Hi,
    Knowledge from my mom: Root beer = Sassafras Root drink.  They stopped using
Sassafras root for root beer because it is considered a carcinogenic.  Sassafras
root still some times used a home remedy.

helen

lilinah at earthlink.net wrote:

> >BTW, could someone please clear up for me what is meant in the
> >States by "root beer"?  I have rather taken it to mean "sasparilla"
> >while my Lady contends that it is "ginger beer".  Given that it was
> >on a suggested list of possibles for taking to a pot luck, I have a
> >nasty feeling that she is right.
> >
> >Gwynydd of Culloden, Ynys Fawr, Lochac, Kingdom of the West
>
> Well, root beer, sarsaparilla (note correct spelling), and ginger
> beer are three very different beverages.
>
> Ginger beer, at least as commercially produced is a very gingery
> flavored carbonated beverage. Best commercial available in California
> is Reeds, far superior to Cock & Bull brand. But my very favorite is
> Prince Neville's, which isn't carbonated, has lime juice in it, and
> will take the varnish off, if you're not used to real ginger :-) Both
> Reed's and Prince Neville's i find in my local health food store.
>
> Of course, ginger beer of any sort can never be confused with
> American style ginger ale, which is pale and has little flavor.
>
> *Good* root beer contains a blend of barks (especially sassafras),
> spices (such as cinnamon and nutmeg), and other natural flavors (such
> as vanilla). However, once you've had all-natural root beer, the
> stuff you usually find in the supermarket taste like nasty chemicals.
> Sassafras used to be a major flavoring ingredient in root beer, but
> seems to have been branded as a potential health hazard (i forget
> what the problem with it is).
>
> Sarsaparilla (familiarly called "sasparilla", which is vernacular
> spelling, but incorrect) is flavored with sarsaparilla, a tropical
> American plant. Of course, modern-day commercial sarsaparilla may not
> contain any at all, just the ubiquitous "natural and artificial
> flavors" that appear on so many labels these days.
>
> So, no, root beer and sarsaparilla are not the same, at least not
> originally. If only the manufacturers would REALLY have to list their
> ingredients - rather than "protecting" them. Commercial stuff may not
> really differ much, but the "olde tyme" recipes are significantly
> different.
>
> And in "ye olde dayes" these were all lightly fermented to make them
> fizzy, but nowadays what you get commercially is carbonated.
> Homemade, however...
>
> Note that some folks confuse root beer and/or sarsaparilla with birch
> beer, perhaps because modern chemically flavored beverages all start
> to taste the same.
>
> If you ever find actually naturally flavored products and you
> actually have some clues as to what's in them, you may be able to
> differentiate them. After doing taste tests with standard brands
> (such as A&W and Barque's) with more "specialty" commercial brands
> (such as "Kansas City" and "Henry Weinhard's" and gee, i forget them
> all), and then some health food or "hand-made" brands (and some of
> them don't taste too good, either), you will begin to discern some of
> the subtle and not so subtle differences in flavor. Even if you can't
> afford the more expensive brands on a regular basis, i really
> recommend doing some taste tests.
>
> Anahita al-shazhiyya
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