Gumbo! Ahhhh!

I found this information on a site called The Southern Gumbo Trail. I have included the link at the bottom of my response in case you want to read the whole thing. Gumbo is often cited as an example of the melting-pot nature of Louisiana cooking, but trying to sort out the origins and evolution of the dish is highly speculative. The name derives from a West African word for okra, suggesting that gumbo was originally made with okra. The use of filé (dried and ground sassafras leaves) was a contribution of the Choctaws and, possibly, other local tribes. Roux has its origin in French cuisine, although the roux used in gumbos is much darker than its Gallic cousins. Traditionally, gumbos have been divided into two large categories—those thickened with okra and those thickened with filé. According to some accounts, before the advent of refrigeration and freezers, okra was the preferred thickening agent for gumbo, while filé was a substitute used only in the off-season when okra wasn’t available. http://www.southerngumbotrail.com/history.shtml

Mmmmm, Gumbo...it is quite awesome. I can't make it, but I do love to eat it, any kind. My grandmother used to make some really good Gumbo, I miss it too.