Sarsaparilla Did you know that Sarsaparilla, a plant whose root is said to be used to make medicines to slow down cancer growth or even cure, is also used as a flavoring agent in foods and beverages? Sarsaparilla (SAR), botanically under the ambit of Smilax genus, a member of lily family, the plant is known to have 350 species spread throughout the world, including India where it is known as Hemidesmus indicus with common name: Indian Sarsaparilla. The words Sarsaparilla and Smilax are interchangeable, and very similar in appearance, uses, and even chemical structure. Sarsaparilla (a.k.a. zarzaparilla), a derivative from the Spanish word zarza (bramble or bush), parra (vine), and illa (small) is “a small, brambled vine”. It is native to tropical and temperate parts of the world, such as South America, Jamaica, the Caribbean, Mexico, Honduras, the West Indies, indigenous to China and Japan, and India and Burma. Sarsaparilla grows as a prickly, woody...
