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Chef tossing vegetables in a frying pan over a burner (skillet, food).
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filé

spice
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History

filé, powdered leaves of the sassafras tree, used as a spice and as a thickener for soups and sauces. Its use originated with the Choctaw Indians in the American South. Filé is an essential ingredient of Louisiana gumbo and other Creole dishes. Because cooking makes it stringy, the filé is characteristically added to food after removal from heat and just before serving.