Angelica

I associate angelica with crystalised fruits, but it also has other uses as a spice.

Angelica plant showing infloresence	Ripening fruits (often incorrectly named "seeds")	Dried broken and ground angelica root

Species:	Angelica archangelica.
Origin:	Western Asia.
Source:	Angelica has spread from Syria in Western Asia to many temperate European countries and become naturalised. Today angelica it is native to Far Northern European countries including Russia, Iceland and Lapland, as well as to parts of Scotland. It is cultivated widely across Europe and can be found in many parks and gardens in London, having escaped from cultivation in the 18th century.
Used Part:	Root, leaves, fruits (often incorrectly described as "seeds").
Family:	Apiaceae (parsley family).
Effect:	Both the odour and taste of the fruits are pleasantly aromatic and quite different from fennel, parsley, anise, caraway and chervil. Angelica has been likened to musk and to juniper. Even the roots are fragrant and form one of the principal aromatics that grow in Europe. Other parts of the plant have the same flavour but their active principles are more transient.
Etymology:	After the spread of Christianity from the Middle East into Europe, the plant became linked in the popular mind with archangelic patronage and associated with the spring-time festival of the Annunciation. According to legend, angelica was revealed in a dream by an angel to cure the plague.
	Another explanation for the name is that the plant blooms on the day of Michael the Archangel (May 8th in the old calendar), and on that account it can be used as a preservative against evil spirits and witchcraft. All parts of the plant were believed efficacious against spells and enchantment and it was held in such esteem that it was called "the root of the Holy Ghost". Names in almost all modern European languages reflect the angelic origins of the plant, e.g. French angélique, German engelwortz and Dutch engelwortel.
Uses:	Stems of angelica are stewed with acid fruits, added to jams and preserves and can be eaten raw, usually with cream cheese or dips. Crystallised stems are used in the preparation of cakes and desserts. From the 10th century onwards, angelica was cultivated as both a vegetable and a medicinal plant, achieving great popularity in Scandinavia in the 12th century. Samic peoples continue to use it as a flavouring in reindeer milk and it has other culinary value as a spice.
	In 1602, angelica was introduced in Niort in France, which had recently been ravaged by the plague. Its supposed medical effectiveness against the plague and other medieval maladies made it extremely popular and it has remained popular ever since. Angelica is used to flavour liqueurs or aquavits (e.g. Chartreuse, Benedictine, Vermouth and Dubonnet), omelettes and trout. The long bright green stems are also candied and used as decoration.
	Angelica contains a variety of chemicals which have been shown to have medicinal properties. Chewing on angelica or drinking tea brewed from it will cause local anaesthesia, but it will heighten the consumer's immune system. It has been shown to have some effectiveness against various bacteria, fungal infections and even viral infections.