Anđelika

Angelica archangelica is a biennial plant of the family Apiaceae. During its first year it grows only leaves, but during its second year its fluted stem can reach a height of 2.5 meters. Angelica grows only in damp soil, preferably near rivers or deposits of water. The leaves are made of numerous small leaflets divided into three principal groups, each subdivided again into three lesser groups, and the leaflet edges are finely toothed. The yellowish or greenish flowers open in July and are grouped in large globular umbels that bear pale yellow, oblong fruits. Like several other Apiaceae, angelica looks similar to poisonous species such as Conium and Heracleum and should not be eaten unless it has been identified with absolute certainty.

Angelica archangelica grows wild in Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland, mostly in the northern parts of the countries. It is cultivated in France, mainly in the Marais Poitevin, a marsh region close to Niort in the department Deux-Sèvres. Commercially available angelica is often sourced from Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Germany and Poland.

Angelica root oil contains about 90% terpenoids and sesquiterpenoids. α-Pinene, 3-carene, limonene and β-phellandrene are the major components, together about 60%. In one analysis of the root oil, 87 compounds were reported, of which 43 were hydrocarbons and 22 alcohols. The macrolides 15-pentadecanolide and 13-tridecanolide are essential odor components of the root oil. Reported ranges for the terpenic hydrocarbons are 4.4 to 24% for α-pinene, 7.5 to 20% for α-phellandrene and 16 to 24% for β-phellandrene. The macrocyclic lactone is reported at 0.8 to 2.4% of the oil. The seed oil contains α-pinene, camphene, β-pinene, myrcene, β-phellandrene, limonene, γ-terpinene, caryophyllene, p-cymene, 1,8-cineole, borneol and carvone. Both the seeds and roots contain coumarins and furocoumarins. The seed oil contains 0.1% bergapten, one of two linear furanocoumarins that are invariably found in plants associated with phytophotodermatitis. In a study of supercritical CO2 extracts of the root, 76 components were identified, and the major volatile components included sabinene, myrcene, chrysanthenyl acetate, α-copaene and 15-pentadecanolide.

Cyclopentadecanolide is a macrolide lactone, a colorless solid with the formula C₁₅H₂₈O₂. It occurs in small quantities in angelica root essential oil. Its content is less than 1% in roots and less than 0.5% in seeds.

The roots are among the most common botanicals in gin distillation, often used together with juniper berries and coriander, and they are also used in absinthes, aquavits and bitters. Angelica also flavors liqueurs or aquavits, omelettes and trout, and is made into jam. The hollow stems may be eaten: they are picked clean of their leaves, crystallized in sugar syrup and colored green as cake decoration or candy.

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