Angelica seed

Angelica archangelica is a large, imposing biennial that reaches two metres or more, with thick hollow stems, bright green, divided leaves and giant, rounded umbels of greenish-white flowers in its second summer. The seeds are small, flattened, pale yellowish-green fruits about 6 to 8 mm long, with papery wings along the edges.

The seeds have a pleasant, musky, juniper-like scent with a sweet-bitter, slightly peppery and herbal flavour. They are sold whole for infusing and distilling, and the roots, stems and leaves are also used. The plant is aromatic throughout, and sellers should be careful not to confuse it with poisonous lookalikes.

Angelica archangelica is native to northern Europe and Greenland, and grows in damp meadows, riverbanks and coastal areas from Iceland and Scandinavia to Russia and into temperate Europe. It has been cultivated in Europe for centuries and is grown commercially in countries such as France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The name derives from Latin herba angelica, the angelic herb, and tradition holds that the plant was revealed by an angel or the archangel Michael as a remedy against plague. The plant flowers around the feast day of St Michael in many parts of Europe, which strengthened the link.

Angelica has a long history in northern European culture. Norse and Sami peoples ate its stems and roots, and in Iceland the plant, hvönn, was cultivated and gathered, with the stalks eaten as vegetables and the seeds and roots used in remedies. Medieval and Renaissance Europeans regarded angelica as a powerful protective herb, and it appears in herbals as a remedy for plague and poison.

In monasteries, the plant became a flavouring in liqueurs, and angelica root and seed are among the botanicals traditionally used in herbal liqueurs such as Chartreuse and Benedictine. In English and French kitchens, candied angelica stems became the characteristic green decoration of cakes and desserts, with the French city of Niort known for its candied angelica.

Today angelica seed and root are used as botanicals in many gins, where they contribute earthy notes and help bind other aromatic flavours. The plant continues in herbal medicine in Europe, and in Nordic countries it is the subject of renewed interest among chefs and foragers.

Dried seeds and roots are distilled in gin, vermouth, bitters and herbal liqueurs, where they add a musky, woody backbone. The seeds are also used to flavour baked goods and teas, and candied stems decorate cakes, while young stems and leaves are cooked or eaten raw in some Nordic dishes.

In traditional European herbal medicine, angelica preparations were used for digestive complaints, colds and as a general tonic, and the essential oil is used in perfumery. Seed heads are also dried for floral arrangements, and the sweet, aromatic seeds are sometimes sprinkled onto fruit compotes and stewed rhubarb.

Angelica contains essential oil and compounds such as coumarins and furanocoumarins, and it has been traditionally used for indigestion, appetite and respiratory complaints. Laboratory studies have examined anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, but clinical evidence is scant. It is best treated as a flavour and traditional herb, not a proven remedy.