FEE-lay or fih-LAY Notes: This powder is made from the same leaves that used to give root beer its distinctive flavor, back in the days before artificial flavorings. Southerners add fil� to their gumbos to thicken and flavor them. The powder gets stringy when it's heated, so add it only after you've removed the gumbo from the heat source. Fil� also doesn't reheat well, so add it only to the gumbo that you're planning to eat right away.
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