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Sassafras root is still used to flavor traditional root beer, although since sassafras was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because of the carcinogenicity of its constituent safrole, most commercial recipes do not contain sassafras. Some commercial root beers do use a safrole-free sassafras extract.
Before you read the taste test results, let's find out what exactly makes root beer taste like root beer. Here's a list of the key flavors: Anise: Imparts a licorice flavor. Sarsaparilla: When soda production began in the last 1800s, sarsaparilla claimed to have health-giving properties.