"Sarsaparilla, The Favorite Food Of The Smurfs But They Prefer To Call It Smurfberries"Those Smurfs knew a good thing when they tasted it. Sarsaparilla comes from the vine, Smilax regelii; it can grow over trees 32 feet high. The reddish brown roots can grow down to over three feet. There are over 200 species in the smilex family, but only one is used for making extract, Smilex officinalis. The roots are very bitter, odorless, and sticky. After drying they are boiled for the extract. In the old west, cowboys would drink it before making the rounds of the brothels. They thought it would ward off syphilis and gonorrhea. It has been a popular drink in American films since "Bronco Billy", played by silent films first cowboy star, Gilbert M. "Bronco Billy" Anderson, in 1912. In a more recent film, "The Big Jablowski", the narrator orders one at the bowling alley bar. A pub in England, Fitzpatrick’s Temperance Bar, still makes its own. It has been in business since 1830. Too many people were being consumed by alcohol and the government encouraged the bars to sell sarsaparilla. Antique bottles sell for more than $100 US... Holy Moly! What it really does is to increase testosterone levels, both in men and women. This leads to excited passion, making women more sensuous and men more virile. Yippee - kye - yay! The world is your oyster - where do you want to go?! Returm from Sarsaparilla to Food
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