by Englishman 31 Replies latest jw friends
Hey Eman,The South checking in here - we have Sassafras trees in our yard. I've never noticed their trademark smell when in bloom (pretty though), but we have several acres here - and trees need pruning. We have a huge area where we burn excess once a year.
The Sassafras smells wonderful burning.
Are these the same as we have in South Jersey, you know, with the three different leaves on one tree?
Iodine is purple to black.
The two orange antiseptic coatings would be Mercurochrome & Merthiolate
Root Beer is mostly Sarsaparilla, with some hint of Sassafrass, Vanilla and a few others. I would have to check my recipes.
Also, from those times is Birch Beer, Spruce Beer, Horehound Candy (mkaes very good cough drops, BTW) and some others.
Somebdoy recently mentioned the old Neeco Candy from those old days. I liked those,some didn't.
We used to get Sassafrass Candy sticks and Horehound Candy sticks. The Horehound was in a spiral twist. The Sassafrass sticks were plain cylinders that looked like barber poles from the colored coatings.
I recently found some Sassfrass Candy that was supposed to be the same as the "old time" version. But it wasn't: in the reverse of what E-Man said, this tasted like they had ADDED disinfectant.
Mustang
Yes, on the 3 different leaf patterns of Sassafrass. I also used to dig it and make Sassafrass tea. It is a thin orange color and has a totally unique flavor. The color must have reminded Waiting of the mercury-based antiseptic coatings.
Mustang
Yeah, first time we were in Canada in an A&W (nice) and people in front of me in the queue kept ordering "Root Beer".
"Hmmn, seems popular, I'll give that a try" I though.
Blurgh! I nearly spat it out. It is VILE !!
It's like concentrated, liquid "essence of hospital". Definitely to be avoided !!
This all reminds me of some of the more popular spray deodreants. After you've smelled them in a restroom (loo) for a while you get to the point you can't stand the odor. Rather the taste of root beer or the smell of the deodorant is totally in the mind of the person doing the drinking or the smelling.
Some time ago we had a discussion of the British dessert, spotted dick. Someone posted the recepie and it looks as if it would be delicious, but the name brings up something other than a sweet in the American mind. However, if I should ever get to the UK I'll grit my false teeth and "give it a go."
To add to the "lore" and perhaps support the English contention:
Sassafrass was one of the biological products that was an instigator in the search for synthetics in the late 1800's-early 1900's. I vaguely recall that it was discovered that Sassafrass OIL had some decent claaning and disinfectant properties. But there would be too much demand for the number of producers, if natural sources were relied upon entirely.
So, it was synthesized. And we do have a commonly available cleaning product that utilizes this: Simple Green. That's right, Simon; could it have been named after you ???
Again, the Root Beer is less of a Sassafrass creation than a Sarsasparilla concoction. The flavors are somewhat similar.
Vanilla is also a similar flavor. Now, who knows of DOGTONGUE???
That is CAROLINA VANILLA. This is a plant with a Vanilla flavor/scent from the Carolina's. It was collected and sold to tobacco companies to flavor tobacco!!!
Mustang
Plant Man Class
So perhaps the solution for those across the pond is lees root and more beer. Perhaps a dark and tan. Yum!
My personal favorite root beer variety:
Due to my line of work, I have found out that Sassafras oil happens to be a main ingredient of the drug "Exctasy". We cleaned up a lab that was cranking out about 64 lbs./ cooking session. I can still smell it in my truck. I like sassafras as it has a lot of good childhood memories associated with it.
Ern
YARD: - according to Webster's.........it doesn't have anything to do with the area in front of - or behind our houses.
Lots of other things in the definition - but not that.
BACKYARD - area behind one's house - per Websters.
FRONT YARD - ain't there. I suppose "lawn" sounds much more sophisticated.
However, my gardens are in my yard - front and back.
I've never noticed the Sassafras trees having 3 differet kinds of leaves, however. Perhaps I have another variety of it? And don't tell me it ain't Sassafras. My mil gave it to me........and she's NEVER wrong.
