If you visit any mountainous region of Scandinavia you will at some point run into a strikingly tall plant (can be up to 3 meters or almost 10 feet) with a thick, aromatic stalk and a flower that looks like something out of a sci-fi film. No the martians have not been spreading seeds on earth, and Angelica archangelica or just Angelica as it is commonly known, does grow on this planet. Once thought of as a cure for the plague, Angelica is today valued in Scandinavia for its many unusual qualities.

Brought to Earth by the Angels
As far back as the 12th century Angelica was cultivated in meadows in Iceland and exported to other European countries. When German monks discovered it being used in folk medicine in the Middle Ages, they took it back to Germany with them and claimed that the angel Gabriel had sent it down to earth to cure the plague. Angelica became one of Scandinavia’s main export articles and was thought to cure various deadly illnesses. During the 17th century interest in its medicinal properties ebbed and was replaced with an even greater interest as a taste additive in liquors such as Benedictine. The Lapps of northern Scandinavia have long been convinced of its health-giving qualities, particularly its high vitamin C content and chew the de-skinned stalk of Angelica which has a distinct flavor.

How it Grows
There are somewhere between 50-100 different types of Angelica in the world. Of these, Angelica archangelica or wild Nordic mountain Angelica is prized as giving the best flavor. It is considered a biennial plant, establishing a crown of leaves during the first year and then growing a long stalk with large distinct flower and seeds during the second.

How to use it
The root, stalk, leaves and seeds have all been used for medicinal and consumption purposes in the form of an infusion, tincture or essential oil (not to be taken internally).

Leaves should be harvested just before the plant blooms in its second year. The root should be harvested after the flower has whilted as it goes into the spring of its third year.

Consumed in small quantities as an infusion or tincture, Angelica is considered to be good for the digestion by encouraging the secretion of digestive enzymes and is also therefore an active ingredient in the famous health-giving tincture, Swedish Bitters. Angelica helps to avoid the buildup of gases during digestion. Furthermore, it is considered a means of reducing blood pressure as well as a means of easing cramps resulting from breathing disorders (e.g. bronchitis) and reproductive processes (e.g. menstruation).

Mixed with a base oil such as olive oil and applied to the skin, the essential oil can be calming for irritated skin. It has been used to treat conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and various types of skin fungus.

Angelica is sometimes served candied on elegant dessert plates in Scandinavia. In Norway it has been used in the preparation of bread. It is one of the most important flavors in the food culture of Lappland. It has a sweet, celery-like flavor.

Caution
While Angelica has been used to treat eczema it can by the same token give rise to eczema when skin that has been treated with Angelica is exposed to the sun before the skin has fully absorbed the medium in which Angelica is present. This is due to Angelica’s phototoxic quality.

Caution should be exercised in taking Angelica to treat high blood pressure. This treatment should only be administered by a certified natural health therapist. Pregnant women should avoid it as Angelica in too high doses can result in miscarriage. Very high doses of fresh Angelica root can be deadly although this effect is not known to result from the dried root.

Did you know…..
that Angelica has long been known to dampen the desire for alcohol consumption? So, if you are having trouble taking an alcohol-free period and would like to do so this new year, try a little infusion or tincture when you get the urge.

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