First up, the sassafras tree is the original source of root beer. Yes, long before the soda aisle existed, people boiled the tree’s root bark to create a spicy, sweet tea. That classic “root beer” flavor? You’ve been tasting sassafras all along.
But here’s the kicker: the tree’s chemical, safrole, was found to be a potential carcinogen in high doses. So modern root beer uses artificial flavoring. Still, you can buy safrole-free sassafras tea—just sip it like a time-traveling pioneer!
