A Touch of Magic:
ANGELICA ROOT
Written by AARON KNOLL Photography by KATHERINE GARRIGAN
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ngelica is a plant thought to be so divine and magical that it could only be a gift from the archangel Raphael.1 As one of the only aromatic plants native to the Nordic region of Europe, this plant surely must have seemed amazing — edible leaves, edible stems, and aromatic, edible roots. Botanically, its scientific name Angelica archangelica pays homage to this folk story. Modern gardeners might know the plant better by its secular name, “Garden Angelica.” Today, many drinkers know it best as a core botanical in gin. Among those core botanicals, it’s one many drinkers are the least familiar with on its own. Ask the average consumer “what angelica tastes like” and you may be, at best, met with a shrug. However, while angelica is somewhat obscure in the day-to-day, it remains an important part of our food culture through distilling, where it is widely used. This ‘divine’ botanical is among the ingredients in several herbal bar staples, including both green and yellow Chartreuse. Further, it is used for aromatizing vermouth and figures in the botanical bills of absinthes and aquavit. Sometimes it even gets top billing — GrandTen Distilling produces an Angelica Liqueur. 1
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Tucker 2010
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