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Love the Smilax genus! They're some of my fav. bush tucker. We have a local one, S. glyciphylla, which brews up into a magnificent, sweet golden tea. I drink it all the time since I have an unlimited supply of the leaves. I love the berries too, but most folks can't stand their piquancy.

https://bushfoodforager.substack.com/p/native-sarsaparilla

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NICE!

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I can’t wait to hear what you have to say about sarsaparilla. I’m saving this one to listen to later today after I get my client work done. I read somewhere that the FDA made some ruling that people can’t make tinctures and other compounds containing sarsaparilla for sale. The thing I read (it was a little before I “met” you that I read it) said the FDA did this on behalf of they pharma partners 🙄 so people didn’t have ready access to its medicinal qualities. In other words, ONLY pharma, etc., can do this. I don’t know it this is true. I wish I remembered where I saw that!

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I am not aware of that rule on Sarsaparilla, but I do know of a similar ruling on Sassafras. Even so, it is better to make your own herbal preps with Sarsaparilla because so many plants are called Sarsaparilla - both members of the Smilax and Atalia families, and at least one other. I like to combine Sarsaparilla, Sassafras and Birch twigs in my root beer... it is delicious and kicks like a mule!

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Oh! Yes it’s probably sassafras that I read about and just mixed it up with sarsaparilla!

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Yep, most do... LOTS of confusion over the plants!

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