Home Page

Stefan's Florilegium

angelica-msg



This document is also available in: text or RTF formats.

angelica-msg - 9/13/04

 

Period use of Angelica. Recipes. Candied angelica.

 

NOTE: See also the files: herbs-msg, herbs-cooking-msg, lavender-msg, seeds-msg, spices-msg, Candying-art, candy-msg.

 

************************************************************************

NOTICE -

 

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

 

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

 

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed to save space and remove clutter.

 

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make  no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given by the individual authors.

 

Please  respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these messages. The  copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear at this time. If  information  is  published  from  these  messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

 

Thank you,

    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous

                                          Stefan at florilegium.org

************************************************************************

 

Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 10:01:45 +0100 (MET)

From: Par Leijonhufvud <parlei at algonet.se>

Subject: Re: SC - Sweets to the sweet, have some fruitcake...

 

On Mon, 13 Dec 1999, Lilinah biti-Anat wrote:

> Also, i remember from long ago reading some recipes that called for

> candied angelica. Is this something anyone has found or made, and if

> so, how does it taste?

 

Angelica archangelica?

 

One of the few exported plants from scandinavia during the medieval

period. Supposedly protected from the plague.

 

/UlfR

- --

Par Leijonhufvud                                   parlei at algonet.se

 

 

Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 10:29:50 -0000

From: nanna at idunn.is (Nanna Rognvaldardottir)

Subject: Re: SC - Sweets to the sweet, have some fruitcake...

 

>Angelica archangelica?

>

>One of the few exported plants from scandinavia during the medieval

>period. Supposedly protected from the plague.

 

And against witches and magic. Almost every part of the plant is actually

edible - here in Iceland, the stalks were peeled and boiled and eaten with

butter, or with milk and cream. The roots were eaten raw or boiled, with

dried fish or dulse, the seeds were used as spice, and the leaves were used

for salads.

 

Nanna

 

 

Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 07:51:56 -0800

From: "David Dendy" <ddendy at silk.net>

Subject: Re: SC - Sweets to the sweet, have some fruitcake...

 

>Also, i remember from long ago reading some recipes that called for

>candied angelica. Is this something anyone has found or made, and if

>so, how does it taste?

 

Sort of sweet and green, a coolish sort of flavour, not extremely strong,

but pleasant. We do have candied angelica in stock (see the "Sweet Stuff"

page) if you want to try some.

 

Francesco Sirene

David Dendy / ddendy at silk.net

partner in Francesco Sirene, Spicer / sirene at silk.net

Visit our Website at http://www.silk.net/sirene/

 

 

Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 20:05:01 -0000

From: "=?iso-8859-1?Q?Nanna_R=F6gnvaldard=F3ttir?=" <nannar at isholf.is>

Subject: Re: SC - Sweets to the sweet, have some fruitcake...

 

òlfR wrote:

>But make sure you get the right species. Mistakes can be fatal.

 

Not a problem here - there are only two species, Angelica archangelica and

Angelica sylvestris, and both were used.

 

>BTW, are those uses period or later?

 

Certainly some uses were period - the sagas mention digging for angelica

roots, and the oldest Icelandic law texts mention them too. Many farms had

angelica gardens and it was the only plant used as a vegetable that was

grown here throughout the Middle Ages. They are not much used these days but

I have recipes for, amongst other things, pickled angelica, candied angelica

and dried angelica leaves. And rhubarb and angelica jam.

 

And if anyone has read F—stbr¾Ýra saga (sorry, can«t remember the English

name), there«s a wonderful story of the two ribalds, Þorgeir H‡varsson and

Þorm—Ýur Kolbrœnarsk‡ld, who went to pick hvšnn (angelica) in L‡trabjarg, a

seacliff in Northwestern Iceland, and climbed somewhat down the cliff.

Þorm—Ýur went up with some of their harvest but when he came down again he

didn«t see Þorgeir anywhere. He thought he was so absorbed in his

angelica-havesting that he had forgotten himself and called out: "Don«t you

think you have enough by now?" Then Þorgeir answered: "I think I shall have

enough when I have the one I hold now." And when his foster brother went to

look for him, he saw that Þorgeir was clinging to an angelica stalk for dear

life, with a sheer drop of hundreds of meters into the ocean below. But he

was too much of a man to yell for help ... (sorry, I«m quoting from memory

only, I«m sure there is a translation online somewhere, but this is a

passage most Icelanders know very well).

 

Nanna

 

 

Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 22:13:28 EST

From: Peldyn at aol.com

Subject: Re: SC - Sweets to the sweet, have some fruitcake...

 

nannar at isholf.is writes:

> òlfR wrote:

>  >But make sure you get the right species. Mistakes can be fatal.

>

>  Not a problem here - there are only two species, Angelica archangelica and

>  Angelica sylvestris, and both were used.

 

I think the worry was over mistaking Angelica for Hemlock. They look very

similiar to each other.

 

To candy Angelica, take cut pieces of the stem and soak them in a simple

sugar syrup for a couple days. Take them out and let them dry a bit.

BTW there is another species of angelica, Angelica atropurpurea that is found

growing wild in North America.

 

Peldyn

 

 

Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 23:32:30 EST

From: LrdRas at aol.com

Subject: SC - angelica.

 

nannar at isholf.is writes:

<< Pickled angelica, candied angelica

and dried angelica leaves. And rhubarb and angelica jam. >>

 

Recipes, please? I have been growing angelica for several years to the point

where it has developed a woody base and have found no substantial recipes in

which to use it. I have been diligently picking off it's flower heads each

year to assure it's survival until the next year since it oftentimes acts

like a  biennial and dies after setting seed but maintains it's perennial

nature when kept seed free :-)

 

Ras

 

 

Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1999 10:28:06 -0000

From: nanna at idunn.is (Nanna Rognvaldardottir)

Subject: Re: SC - angelica.

 

Ras wrote:

>Recipes, please? I have been growing angelica for several years to the point

>where it has developed a woody base and have found no substantial recipes in

>which to use it. I have been diligently picking off it's flower heads each

>year to assure it's survival until the next year since it oftentimes acts

>like a  biennial and dies after setting seed but maintains it's perennial

>nature when kept seed free :-)

 

I don«t think there are any period recipes but the plant seems to have been

much used - our highest mountain (Hvannadalshnœkur) is named for it, for

instance - and many old sources mention "root excursions" into the

wilderness, which had to be undertaken either in early spring or in late

autumn. In between the root is considered too bitter. Also, the root of a

plant that grew partly in a shade was considered less bitter than one which

grew in the sun so I don«t know how plants grown in a warmer climate than

here will turn out.

 

I haven«t found any recipes for the root yet but many descriptions of their

use - they were eaten fresh, plain or with dried fish, butter and often

dulse. Or they were fried in butter or grilled. Or preserved, either in whey

or simply wrapped in hay and buried in the ground. Or used to flavor brandy

(angelica root brandy is still being produced commercially here).

 

The stalks were cut when young, before they became woody. They were eaten

raw with butter, or chopped fine and eaten as a salad with fresh fish. Or

used in soups and stews along with the leaves, or in jam with rhubarb (after

mid 19th century). Or boiled and preserved in whey. Or chopped, raw, and

mixed with skyr (curds).

 

A few recipes (I«ll try to find more, I have them somewhere)

 

Pickled angelica

 

250 g (1/2 lb) young angelica stalks

salt

3 medium-sized angelica flower clusters

3 dl (1 1/3 c) good vinegar

2 dl (1 c) water

150 g (2/3 c) sugar

2 tsp mustard seeds

6 black peppercorns

a small piece of ginger, fresh or dried

6 cloves

 

Simmer the stalks in salted water for about 15 minutes, then drain them, let

them cook and peel them. Simmer the flowers in the same water for 5 minutes,

then drain. Mix vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seeds, peppercorns, ginger

and cloves in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes or so.

Arrange stalks and flowers in a hot, sterilized jar, pour the boiling

vinegar in the jar to cover. Close and seal.

 

Rhubarb and angelica jam

 

1 kilo (2 lbs) rhubarb stalks

500 g (1 lb) angelica stalks

1 kilo (2 lbs) sugar

2 1/2 dl (scant 1 cup) water

 

Peel and chop rhubarb and angelica stalks and soak them in cold water. Put

sugar and water in a nonreactive pan, bring slowly to the boil and stir

until the sugar has dissolved. Let boil for one minute, then add the drained

rhubarb and angelica. Simmer for an hour or more, or until the jam is fairly

thick. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars and seal.

 

Angelica soup

 

1 kilo (2 lbs) angelica leaves

3 litres (3 quarts) good meat or vegetable stock

60 g (1/4 c) butter

75 g (1/2 c) flour

1/2 - 1 tsp sugar

salt

2-3 carrots

1 medium rutabaga (swede), or turnip

 

Wash the leaves and blanch them in lightly salted water for 2 minutes or so,

then drain and chop them. Peel the vegetables, chop them roughly and parboil

in lightly salted water until almost tender. Heat the stock to boiling point

and . Melt the butter in a large pan, stir in flour and cook for a minute or

two, then gradually whisk in the hot stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for

5 minutes. Add angelica leaves and vegetables and simmer for 5-10 minutes

more. Season to taste with sugar and salt and serve with quartered

hard-boiled eggs or dumplings.

The book I quote from gives virtually the same recipe for scurvy-grass soup

and Northern dock soup, BTW.

 

Nanna

 

 

Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1999 18:58:45 EST

From: Peldyn at aol.com

Subject: Re: SC - Sweets to the sweet, have some fruitcake...

 

Hi Ras! I think the problem would be trying to harvest angelica in the wild

if you don't know how to tell it apart from water hemlock. They grow in the

same places and look almost exactly alike.

 

Peldyn

 

 

Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1999 10:14:53 -0500

From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd at gate.net>

Subject: Re: SC - angelica.

 

Sorry to be so late on this thread, playing catch up I am, did anyone

mention the recipe for candied angelica root found in "Joy of Cooking"?

I've used it for ginger root.

 

Daniel Raoul

 

 

Date: Sun, 26 Dec 1999 13:33:38 -0500

From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd at gate.net>

Subject: Re: SC - angelica.

 

I wrote:

><<  did anyone

> mention the recipe for candied angelica root found in "Joy of Cooking"?

> I've used it for ginger root.

>

> Daniel Raoul >>

 

Ld. Ras wrote:

>NO. Could you post it please? :-)

>

> Since I have other cookery manuals that I consider far better for me

>personally than 'Joy of..,' I have never added it to my library.

 

Candied or Crystallized Roots and Stalks

 

Wash:

 

2 cups of angelica roots and young stalks or cleaned scraped acorus calamus

roots. Place them in a crock.  Pour over to cover 1/2 cup salt 2 cups

boiling water.  Cover crock and let the angelica soak for 24 hours.  Drain,

peel and wash in cold water.  Cook to 238 F:

 

2 cups of sugar

2 cups of water

 

Add the cleaned angelica roots and stems.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Drain the

angelica, but reserve the sirup.  Put the angelica on a wire rack in a  cool

dark place for 4 days.  Then bring the sirup and roots to 238 F and cook for

20 minutes or until the sirup candies the roots.  Drain on a rack until

thoroughly dry.  Store tightly covered.

 

 

Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 15:14:01 -0700 (PDT)

From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Lovage vs Angelica??

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

--- Elise Fleming <alysk at ix.netcom.com> wrote:

> Greetings.  In an article about lovage, the

> editor equates it with

> angelica and writes "Remember, angelica is

> lovage."  The dictionary

> says that lovage is an apiaceous herb,

> "Levisticum officinale" and

> that angelica is an umbelliferous plant of the

> genus  Angelica, esp.

> A. Archangelica".  Therefore, these two can't

> be the same, can they?

> Do the two look alike?  Taste alike?

>

> Alys Katharine

 

They don't look alike from the pictures I have

seen.  The only relationship I can see is a

common use as a substitute for celery.

 

The Oxford Companion to Food says of Lovage:

 

Lovage: Levisticum officinale, an umbelliferous

plant that grows in S. Europe and as far north as

England.  It resembles wild celery in appearance,

and was formerly used in the same way, but is

milder and sweeter with a distictively warm,

spicy fragrance.

 

Lovage was popular as a flavouring herb in

classical times, and is often mentioned in

Apicius.  The Romans called it ligusticum because

it grew abundantly in Liguria.  The altered form

of levisticum, common in late Latin, was the

origin of the English and other modern names, and

was later adopted as the botanical name.  The

hardier and coarser-flavoured plant which is

sometimes called 'Scotch' or 'black' lovage, but

whose correct name is Alexanders, was given

Ligusticum as its generic name (but has since

lost it in favour of Smyrnium).

 

Lovage continued to be grown in medieval kitchen

gardens.  The leaves were used as a flavouring

and to make a cordial; the stems were cooked like

celery; and the roots were made into a sweetmeat.

  The suggestion of 'love' in the name is also

seen in German; the plant had a reputation as a

love potion.

 

The eclipse of wild celery by the cultivated type

also led to the decline in the use of lovage,

which is now little known anywhere.  This is a

pity, because the flavour is distinctive and,

used with discretion, very good in soups, salads,

and meat dishes alike.

 

The Oxford Companion to Food says of angelica:

 

Angelica: the name for a group of tall

unbelliferous plants with thick stems, in the

genus Angelica.  Of the many species growing in

the most temperate regions of the world, the most

famous and useful, growing in Europe, is Angelica

Archangelica.

 

Parkinson (1629) observed that all Christian

nations call this plant by names signifying its

angelic associations, and "likewise in their

appellations hereof follow the Latine names as

near as their Dialect will permit".  The basis

for the angelic associations is not clear,

although it may be connected with the plant's

reputation as an antidote to poisons; and the

archangelic ones might be due to the fact that

the flower would be in bloom on 8 May (old

calendar), the day of St. Michael Archangel.

 

A. archangelica grows well in Scotland, Germany,

Scandinavia, and Russia.  It is among the few

tall plants which can withstand the weather in

Iceland and the Faeroes.  It will also thrive

further south, and is grown in both France and

Italy; and likewise in many parts of N. America,

where it has been introduced as a cultivated

herb.  It differs from most members of the genus

in having smooth stalks and leaves in all its

parts, and has a distinctive scent, often

described as musky.

 

Formerly the leaf stalks were blanched and eaten

like celery, and the leaves were candied.  The

roots were made into preserves, and angelica

water was a well-known cordial.  Its use as a

vegetable survives in some countries, e.g.

Greenland and the Feroes, where it is eaten

cooked.  Nowadays, however, much of the most

common use is to candy the stalks, cut into short

pieces, for use in cakes and confectionary.  In

England, it is frequently used to decorate a

trifle.  Most of the angelica grown commercially

for candying comes from France and Germany.

 

The candied stalks have been sold as 'French

rhubarb' in the USA.  Elsewhere, the addition of

a little angelica to stewed rhubarb is thought to

be a good way of reducing the acidity.

 

Growing and candying angelica have been a

speciality of Niort in France since the latter

part of the 18th century, and the Niortais now

have a monopoly in France. (Tales about the

origin of their specialization are of doubtful

validity, and it was not an invention of

Niort--the art of candying angelica was already

being practised in the south of France around

1600; but claims have been made that the angelica

grown at Niort is superior to any other.)  The

process of candying angelica is elaborate,

involving many stages and takes up to a year or

more.  Angelica jam is made and so are

chocolate-coated pieces of candied angelica.

 

Huette

 

 

From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>

To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Lovage vs Angelica??

Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 20:51:06 -0500

 

You are correct, with some caveats.  Angelica can refer to a number of

plants in the genus Angelica, A. angelica is just the most common.  A.

heterocarpa, Spanish angelica, more closely resembles lovage than A.

angelica.  Angelica and lovage apparently are in closely related genera in

the family Apiaceae (or Umbelliferae in older texts) and are similar in

taste.

 

Bear

 

> Greetings.  In an article about lovage, the editor equates it with

> angelica and writes "Remember, angelica is lovage." The dictionary

> says that lovage is an apiaceous herb, "Levisticum officinale" and

> that angelica is an umbelliferous plant of the genus  Angelica, esp.

> A. Archangelica".  Therefore, these two can't be the same, can they?

> Do the two look alike?  Taste alike?

>

> Alys Katharine

 

 

Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 22:24:46 EDT

From: UrthMomma at aol.com

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Re: Sca-cooks Digest, Vol 4, Issue 27

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

 

Angelica is lovage ??  I don't know what folk names the author was accustomed

to, but angelica is not lovage. Lovage is good to use where celery is called

for, especially in stews where it can cook properly as fresh lovage, even

finely chopped can be rather coarse in texture, as in it feels like you are

chewing on maple or oak leaves.

 

Yea, angelica does somewhat resemble lovage in the garden as it  also grows

tall and has hollow stems also and "cut" foilage if I recall from also killing

it about five years ago, but culinary uses the same as lovage ?? Certainly

not in the other modes of herb usage that I know of.  Bees probably love the

flowers of both - "lovage is an apiaceous herb", but bees love the flowers of

most herbs.

 

Olwen Bucklond

plant killer extraordinarie

 

<the end>



Formatting copyright © Mark S. Harris (THLord Stefan li Rous).
All other copyrights are property of the original article and message authors.

Comments to the Editor: stefan at florilegium.org