Sarsaparilla is a soft drink originally made from the vine Smilax ornata or other species of Smilax such as Smilax officinalis. In most Southeast Asian countries, it is known by the common name sarsi,
For decades, until the 2010s, the iconic Sioux City sarsaparilla bottle was sold in retail stores in the United States.
A can of F&N Sarsi from Singapore
A bottle of Asia Sarsae sold in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Birch bark tar is a substance that is synthesized by dry distillation of birch tree bark.
Sarsaparilla (drink)
…the common name sarsi, and the trademarks Sarsi and Sarsae. It is similar in flavor to root beer. In the US, sarsaparilla is traditionally made with birch oil rather than the tropical plant. Smilax ornata, a perennial trailing vine with prickly stems that is native to Mexico and Central America, is often used…
Birch bark pitch made in a single pot: The birch bark is heated under airtight conditions, and the final product consists of tar and the ashes of the bark.
Flint object with tar, found on the coast of the Netherlands in 2016 by Willy van Wingerden, dating from Weichselin
Modern way of producing birch bark tar in a single pot: the birch bark is heated under airtight conditions; the final product consists of tar and the ashes of the bark.