Sarsaparilla

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Sarsaparilla

In Australia, "sarsaparilla" usually refers to Alphitonia

Alphitonia

Alphitonia is an arborescent genus of flowering plants with about 20 species, belonging to the buckthorn family of the rosid eudicots. It occurs in tropical regions of Southeast Asia, Oceania and Polynesia....
species.

Sarsaparilla (IPA: /?sæsp?'??l?/ or /?s??sp?'??l?/ ) (Smilax regelii and other closely related species of Smilax
Smilax

Smilax is a genus of about 300-350 species, found in the tropics and subtropics worldwide. In China for example about 80 are found , while there are 20 in North America north of Mexico....
) is a perennial trailing vine with prickly stems; it is native to Central America

Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
. Its name (which is zarzaparrilla in Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish or Castilian is a Romance languages that originated in northern Spain, and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile and evolved into the principal language of government and trade....
) comes from the Spanish words zarza for "shrub" and parrilla for "little grape vine."

Sweet Sarsparilla (Smilax glyciphylla) is a vine native to East Australia..

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Encyclopedia

In Australia, "sarsaparilla" usually refers to Alphitonia

Alphitonia

Central America

Spanish language

Usage

The primary uses of sarsaparilla include the flavoring of beverages, and in folk medicine. As a medicinal product, sarsaparilla is supposedly a "blood purifier", aid to detox, and a general "pep agent" that is traditionally used in cordials and tonics to invigorate and cleanse the body, although there is no evidence to support its uses.

Sarsaparilla is not readily available in most countries, although most pubs and large supermarket chains in Australia stock sarsaparilla flavored soft drinks. It is marketed as a refreshing drink, much like Coca-Cola is. Heysong Sasparilla soda in Taiwan is also ubiquitous in convenience stores such as 7-11, vending machines, and other outlets.

In popular culture

It is the favorite drink of Stuart Little
Stuart Little

Published in 1945, Stuart Little was E. B. White's first children's story. It is the tale of a young New Yorker named Stuart Little who had the "shy, pleasant manner of a mouse" and in Garth Williams's illustrations does look like a mouse....
and Calamity Jane in the 1963 musical of the same name.

In The Smurfs
The Smurfs

The Smurfs are a fictional group of small sky blue creatures who live in Smurf Village somewhere in the woods. The Belgium cartoonist Peyo introduced Smurfs to the world in a series of comic strips, making their first appearance in the Belgian Franco-Belgian comics magazines Spirou on October 23, 1958....
comic strip, the Smurfs' preferred food is sarsaparilla leaves.

In the animated series Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa
Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa

Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa is an United States animated television series for children created by comic book artist Ryan Brown, artist for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics....
, a special recipe sarsaparilla is the most popular beverage served at the Tumble Weed Saloon.

In the motion picture The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski

The Big Lebowski is a 1998 in film Cinema of the United States comedy film written and directed by Coen brothers. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeffrey Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles, California slacker and avid bowling, who refers to himself as "the Dude"....
, the sarsaparilla soda is the Stranger's drink of choice.

In Meet the Robinsons
Meet the Robinsons

Meet the Robinsons is a computer-animated 2007 film and the Disney animated features canon animated feature produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures....
, the old man uses it as an exclamation upon receiving his teeth.

The installment of School House Rock that deals with pronouns has a character named Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla.

In The Simpsons
The Simpsons

The Simpsons is an Television in the United States animated cartoon Situation comedy created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company....
, during an outing, Abe Simpson declares that sarsaparilla angries up the blood.

In Mcfly's Song Don't Wake Me Up. "My Sky Has Turned Vanilla, Like Sugar Sarsaparilla."

In Sabrina the Teenage Witch (TV series), episode 94 Wild Wild Witch, rule 143 in the town is "No sarsaparilla, ever."

In 1970's British sitcom Robin's Nest
Robin's Nest

Robin's Nest was a British Situation comedy starring Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Tripp, one of the lead characters in the sitcom Man About the House, which had ended in 1976....
, series 2, episode 2, Hot Sarsaparilla is advertised on the side of Fred's Tea Van.

In Camp Lo's Song "Black Nostaljack AKA Come On". "Now here we are star apport a sarsaparilla"

In Back to the future 3, Doc Brown asks a barman for "something a little stronger than usual" and the bartender offers him a sarsaparilla.

Sarsaparilla

Usage

In popular culture

See also

External links