Angelica

Angelica archangelica · Herb

40 pairings

Angelica (Angelica archangelica), also called garden angelica or wild celery, is a tall, stout aromatic biennial of the carrot family whose every part — hollow ribbed stems, bright-green leaves, fragrant seeds and thick taproot — carries a warm, sweet scent that reads as celery crossed with juniper and musk. Its candied green stems are an old confectioner's sweetmeat, and the root and seed are classic botanicals of gin, vermouth, absinthe and the Chartreuse liqueurs.

Picking a good onedrag

Just cut, stem walls thick and springyWalls soft and pithy, leaves blackening

Market freshPeel and candy the young stems, or tear a leaf into a salad and under fish. Sap on skin in sunlight raises a sunburn-like rash: gloves, then rinse.Everyday best

Stem wallsWalls still firm under a squeeze, the ribs standing sharper

The leavesGreen, the blades relaxed, a leaflet or two furled

Scratch a stemCelery-green still clear, the resin note quieter

What to look for, from just cut, stem walls thick and springy to walls soft and pithy, leaves blackening.

Preparing