Angelica (Angelica archangelica) has been a popular medicinal plant in the far north for many centuries. The Vikings brought the umbellifer with them from Scandinavia and also introduced it to Central Europe. Angelica was once considered a remedy for the plague and all sorts of other diseases, and bitters and other bitter liqueurs were also made from its roots. The plant can be recognized by its typical, pleasant smell.
Angelica smells like bitters
Spicy and pleasant fragrance
Either the root or the rhizome is used as a remedy, but also the whole plant, its fruits and the essential oil made from it (Oleum Angelicae), although the carefully dried roots are usually used. All parts of the plant give off a sweet and very spicy smell, which can later turn bitter.
Ingredients of angelica
The intense smell of angelica comes from the essential oils that are contained in the plant in concentrations of between 0.3 and 1.5 percent. Angelica also contains bitter substances, coumarin derivatives, furanocoumarins, coumarins as well as resins and sugar. So-called macrocyclic lactones are responsible for the characteristic smell, which are reminiscent of a stomach bitter - for the production of which angelica is still often used today. However, the intense smell of the pure essential oil dissipates very quickly.
application areas
In traditional folk medicine, angelica was used to treat numerous diseases, but today it is mainly used to treat stomach and intestinal problems (which also gave the plant the nickname "angel's fart") such as stomach pain, a feeling of fullness or loss of appetite, as well as colds and coughs. Well-known stomach and bitter liqueurs such as Klosterfrau Melissengeist, Boonekamp, Chartreuse and Cointreau contain extracts from the root of angelica.
Beware of the sun!
Anyone who uses angelica as a remedy should avoid sunbathing or visits to the tanning salon as a precaution. The furanocoumarins it contains can, in combination with prolonged exposure to the sun, cause skin irritations up to blistering dermatitis and allergic reactions. Incidentally, the same applies to wild-growing Angelica, which can be dangerous for bathers - contact with the fresh juice can cause burns and not dissimilar skin rashes.
tips
If you want to collect angelica in the wild, then pay close attention to the important identifying features, as the plant can quickly be confused with the deadly poisonous water hemlock.