Angelica

Angelica is an impressive plant, often growing to 6 feet (1 m 80 cm) and taller. It is a member of the parsley and carrot family and is native to northern Europe. The Vikings introduced it to France, where it was cultivated by monks, but today angelica can be found, both cultivated and growing wild, along the Mediterranean and in North America. All parts of this strongly aromatic plant are edible; the leaves and roots are used for infusions such as tea and to flavor sweet wines and liqueurs, and both the stalk and roots are boiled in some countries and eaten as a vegetable. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, so-called angel water, derived from angelica, was a popular beauty treatment used for washing the face.