Legend has it that Angelica gained its name as a result of a monk’s dream, in which an angel appeared and told him that the herb would cure the plague. It was described by Renaissance physician Paracelsus as a “marvellous medicine” during the early 16th century plague epidemic in Milan, and was used in England as a plague curative until the mid-17th century. As far back as the early 17th century, candied angelica – which is still used today, often as leaves in cake decoration – enjoyed a reputation almost equal to that of ginger for calming digestive problems. The Angelica sinensis variety, also known as Dong Quai, is native to China where the root has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 4,000 years.
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