Sarsaparilla is a prickly plant found in South America that gets its name from the Spanish word Zarza meaning “Bramble” and Parrilla meaning “little grape vine”. It was used in Native American communities for its health benefits and went on to help prevent and cure psoriasis and other skin diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease and is even used for the treatment of leprosy. Now it is commonly used in the popular U.S soft drink Root beer and it gives a mildly bitter, spicy and warming flavour to drinks with a touch of sweetness to finish.
Fun fact: It was introduced in to the USA in the 1820’s as a cure for Syphilis when the New World began to expand and more people were connecting.
