A to Z of French Herbs - Angelica

Angelica the plant, some say vegetable some say herb.

Angelica is considered a vegetable rather than a herb in some countries in Europe. But in France, it's considered to be a herb. It's used in a variety of ways. The candied Angelica is probably the most well known and used.

In the first season of my podcast Fabulously Delicious The French Food podcast I spoke with Elise Botiveau about the Galette Charentaise, which is a cake that Elise grew up making. This cake or gateau as they like to call them here in France and has a special ingredient, Angelica, candied Angelica to be exact. So what is Angelica

Angelica is an aromatic herb that grows one to two meters high, sometimes even higher. Its leaves has hairs on the underside and the plant has white or greenish flowers depending on the variety. It tastes a bit like celery. In Finland actually, where it's treated like a vegetable. The stems are often eaten raw like celery is.

The stems can also be added to an assortment of other vegetables being roasted or as a herb in salads and soups.

Paracelsus a doctor, philosopher, astrologer and alchemist

Also known to many as Angel herb. Angelica owes its name to its alleged magical properties into the sweet musky aroma that expels from it. In the Middle Ages it was thought the plant would ward off spells. In fact they often would place Angelica around children's necks to protect them from evil spirits or ghosts.

During the Renaissance period, doctors nicknamed Angelica the root of the Holy Spirit because of its said great and diverse properties against various diseases.

During the plague, Paracelsus who was a famed Swedish Alchemist, astrologer and doctor. He said that many Milanese people were saved thanks to prescriptions of Angelica powder dissolved in wine, a concoction that he came up with.

Legend has it that a monk heard the archangel Rafael recommend the plant to him to fight the plague. All of these theories are the reason for it’s multiple names, Angelica, angélique des jardins, angélique des prés, angélique vraie, grande angélique, herbe aux anges, herbe du Saint-Esprit, herbe impériale, racine du Saint-Esprit.

Potted Basil Plant

Angelica is used to treat many things including anti-anxiety. The root is said to be an excellent tonic for fatigue and contains an essential oil that is said to be beneficial for the digestive system.

Over the centuries, Angelica has been used to prevent contagious diseases and treat a large number of everyday ailments like bronchitis, colds, circulation problems, digestive disorders, and fatigue.

Angelica grows in the wild in northern and central regions of Europe, but it's no longer cultivated for culinary or commercial purposes there. Except for in Northern France, where the French government has actually listed Angelica as a protected plant species. In the wild there are two species of Angelica in France. And these grow pretty much everywhere in France except for the Mediterranean.

Usually Angelica in the wild can be found along the banks of wetlands and ditches, or along the side of the road. It can be found as far north as Lapland and as far east as Russia, and also in Germany and Poland. Some varieties of Angelica have even been found in Iceland, Greenland, Siberia, and in the Himalayans.

Hemlock which is often confused with Angelica in looks.

It multiplies by seed from July to September, and the harvest is done for the flowers and stems in the first year and in the second year for its seeds. The seeds actually lose their germination power really quickly. So they must be pretty much sewing straight away or in a very short short period of time after they've been harvested.

Angelica is also related in the plant world to carrots, fennel, caraway, cherfeuil, anise, celery, parsnip, sage, and corriander. Sometimes Angelica, the herb can be confused for Hemlock, which of course is very poisonous. The plant looks very similar, but the way to tell is to crumble a few of the leaves. And if they have a pleasant smell, well, it's Angelica. And if it stinks, that's hemlock. So steer clear of that.

Originally from Scandinavia, Angelica was imported into France in the 12th century, it's thought that it was brought to France by the Vikings, who used it as a form of currency and trade.

In the 20th century, over 250 tons of Angelica was harvested every year. Uses for Angelica can be for pharmaceutical, as well as culinary. In the cooking scene, the leaves of the plant can be used in salads and soups, and the seeds and stems are used in the preparation of the curries.

Candied Angelique from my local Macaron Museum and store

Stems of Angelica are often candied and used as its own ingredient. Different formats of Angelica can be found for culinary purposes from powder, fluid extracts and dyes.

Most people don't know that the root and the seed of Angelica is often used in the production of gin and vermouth. It's used by many distillers as a binding agent for other oils being added to the process. So next time you have a martini, remind yourself that the flavor comes from the angelica root. See if you can pick out some of those flavours.

One of the most popular commercial uses of Angelica and cooking is to confiture Angelica to be used as a confectionery. This process consists of cutting the stems of the Angelica and then peeling them before they are then lacerated in the syrup. Doing this on more than one occasion increasingly super concentrating it, so that the water naturally in the stems is replaced through these baths in an osmosis effect with the syrup.

The candied strips are then dried at a low temperature to obtain a green candied stem. That has a smooth texture and a delicious fragrance. This candied Angelica has a unique, subtle citrus flavour.

Angelique de Niort

Be-careful when you're looking to buy confit or candied Angelica though, as some products are not actually made from the Angelica plant. Instead it's watermelon that's been cut into cubes, and there's Angelica dyes added to it.

Candied Angelica sometimes known as Angelique de Noirt can be eaten as a snack, but it also can be used as an ingredient in desserts like rice pudding, ice-cream, buns, tarts, Pantone, the galette De Roy. Sometimes it can be covered in chocolate as a special delicious treat. But it's probably most notably known as the main ingredient in the cake, the Galette Charentaise a specialty of the Charente region of France.

This was the topic on Fabulously Delicious: The French Food Podcast and you can listen to the full episode via Spotify or Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.