Herb of the Month:
Angelica
Angelica LOVES Iceland, and it grows as tall as me – or taller from what I hear. It’s got a strong, tall stalk and huge flower head, with leafy arms that reach for the sky and the sun that never sets. Iceland is a place of extremes: it’s all day or all night. At any moment, a volcano could engulf the entire island, and everyone is very aware of that. The people are all work or all play – and I think the extremes of the climate and land encourage that.
Seeds of Delight
Angelica seeds are a delicacy. The flavor is described as lighter, or more “effervescent”. Angelica seeds are warming, energizing, and uplifting: exactly what we look for when we are feeling stressed. They’re diaphoretic as well, although usually when we use that term, we’re thinking about fevers, Angelica’s diaphoretic action helps some people to let go of things they may be trying too hard to control. Whether it’s emotions about your to-do list, worry over a particular aspect of business, or even stewing over a disagreement, the diaphoretic action helps you “sweat out” those emotions – just letting them dissipate out of you head. This is a very valuable feature! Angelica seeds can make a delicious tea.
Stalk Sweetness
Candied Angelica is such a special treat! It’s not difficult to make, though it is time consuming: you boil the stalks until you can peel the outer celery-like fibers off – about five minutes. (An ice bath right after helps!) Then, submerge them in local honey right off the boil and let them infuse for a good month. The honey will be infused with Angelica, and the stalks will be candied! It will be better to keep them in the refrigerator, but they will last you six months to a year – possibly longer, but they just might be too good to make it that long!
Adapting to Extremes
Roots would of course normally be decocted, but you could also infuse them. The flavor is a little lighter that way, and although you don’t get as much out of it, you can infuse them multiple times – the tea that keeps on giving! Either way, Angelica root is an important herb in my routine. Remember that Angelica grows in extreme and harsh environments, where it’s all day or all night and volcanos might erupt any time! But Angelica can handle that with grace – and in fact, thrive! So frequently, we look at the environment that a plant grows in for clues to deeper understanding of how to work with a plant: plants adapt to their environments just like we do, and they produce substances that help them cope with stress in their environments just like we do. So if there’s a plant who excels in living in an extreme environment, it seems reasonable that it could help YOU survive in that extreme environment too!
As far as I have been taught, Angelica isn’t classified as an adaptogen, but in my opinion it definitely acts like one. I will be drinking Angelica every day as part of my Herb of the Month, but you could also try it in this decoction recipe for “notCoffee” that one of my instructors put together! For her it is usually a blend of Angelica, Ashwagandha, Codonopsis, Elecampane, Calamus, Reishi, Burdock, and decaf coffee, along with whatever else she has on hand! Try it in the morning with a little almond milk, and it’s delicious! Warming, circulatory stimulating, digestion-improving, and that extra something that gets you through the extremes of modern life!
There are so many ways to appreciate Angelica. If you want to take some home to give it a try, let Dr. Amanda know on your next visit!
