Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Spice guide to Chinese angelica along with all the Chinese angelica containing recipes presented on this site, with 3 recipes in total.

This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the spice-based recipes added to this site.

These recipes, all contain Chinese angelica as a major flavouring.

Chinese angelica, commonly known as Chinese Angelica, dang gui (simplified Chinese: 当归; traditional Chinese: 當歸; pinyin: dāngguī) or female ginseng, is a herb belonging to the Apiaceae (carrot) family that's indigenous to China. A. sinensis grows in cool high altitude mountains in East Asia. The yellowish brown root of the plant is harvested in autumn and used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a spice in Chinese cookery where it's known for its earthy, sweet, and distinctly aromatic flavour.

Angelica is hardy to 5°C and can be cultivated at elevations of 1,500 to 3,000 metres. Seedlings need to be kept out of direct sunlight, but the mature plant can withstand it. Angelica requires deep moist fertile soil and is perennial if prevented from going to seed.

Chinese Angelica root, (Dang Gui) (Chinese Angelica), is a prized spice in Chinese cooking. Known for its earthy, sweet, and distinctly aromatic flavour, it is heavily utilised in medicinal soups, braised dishes, and herbal marinades to boost circulation and add deep umami flavours. It's also an ingredient in spice blend like Chinese thirteen-spice powder.

Use in cooking: Simmering just 1 or 2 dried slices of Dang Gui with ingredients like chicken, ribs, red dates, and goji berries creates a nourishing and flavourful stock. The spice is excellent in braised duck or beef stews, where its flavour melds beautifully with spices like star anise, cinnamon, and ginger. Adding a small piece of the dried root along with a splash of Chinese cooking wine and soy sauce elevates the flavour of steamed chicken or fish.

This is quite a strong spice and a little goes a long way. Note that using too much Dang Gui can quickly make your dish overpoweringly bitter or medicinal in tone. Root pieces are primarily used for adding flavour and nutrients to a stock. Indeed, (unless powdered in a spice blend) it's typically discarded after simmering, rather than being eaten directly. Once classic way of using it to add flavour is to soak the dried slices in warm water for 1–2 hours before cooking, and then adding that nutrient-rich soaking water directly into your soup or sauce.

A note of caution: A. sinensis may increase the anticoagulant effects of the drug warfarin (as it contains coumarins), and consequently may increase the risk of bleeding. Caution is needed when consumed with herbs (such as ginkgo or garlic), which may affect blood clotting.

If you see 'angelica root' referred to in a Chinese or southeast Asian recipe then it's almost certainly Chinese Angelica thats being referred to.