some even as vegetables. Members of the
carrot family grow in less extreme conditions
than the Mediterranean mints, are generally
tender biennials rather than shrubby or woody
perennials, and have flavors that are generally
milder, sometimes even sweet. The seeds
(actually small dry fruits) may have chemical
defenses — and therefore are spices —
because they’re fairly large and tempting to
insects and birds. One terpene, myristicin,
shared by dill, parsley, fennel, and carrots,
and giving them a common woody, warm
note, is thought to be a defense against molds.
The aromatic compounds are stored in oil
canals within the leaves, under large and
small veins, and are generally found in
smaller quantities than the externally stored
defenses of the mint family.
Angelica Angelica is a large, rangy plant of
northern Europe, Angelica archangelica, that
has fresh, pine, and citrus notes, but is