A
powdered
thickening
agent used in
sauces and
stews. Along with
okra and
roux, gumbo file (sometimes just called "file") produces the characteristic fullness of
gumbo, one of the flagship dishes of
cajun cooking.
The proper pronounciation is FEEL-ay (as in "play"). It may be spelled "filé," but the accent is usually omitted.
First used by the
Choctaw Indians, file is is a drab green powder which superficially resembles powdered
henna, and is produced by grinding the leaves of the
sassafrass plant. It has a mild taste which is similar to
root beer.
File dissolves quickly in water and has an effect similar to that of
cornstarch or
arrowroot. A small pot of gumbo, starting with one
liter (~1
quart) of
stock, may use up to one-half
cup (120
ml) of gumbo file. The quantity varies widely depending on the desired texture of the soup and the other ingredients used.
I have not been able to find
nutritional information on file, but as a starch it probably has a profile similar to that of
flour, around 360
kcal/100
g. It is much less
dense than flour, so I can't reliably convert that to
volume. It does not appear to contain any
fiber.