Anthony Worrall Thompson’s faux pas

According to the BBC chef Antony Worrall Thompson has apologised after a minor but potentially fatal mistake in a recent interview. In a magazine interview about watercress and other wild foods in Heathy & Organic living , Mr Worrall Thompson said the weed henbane was "great in salads". He had had meant to recommend fat hen, which is a wild herb.

Henbane - Hyoscyamus niger - has sticky serrated leaves, yellow, funnel-shaped flowers and a stale scent. Its name has Anglo-Saxon origins - meaning killer of hens - and it can cause hallucinations, drowsiness and disorientation in humans. Larger quantities can cause a loss of consciousness, seizures, trembling of the limbs and, in extreme cases, death.

The television chef said "Henbane is associated with lots of mythical tales - it's said to turn you black and it's used in witches potions.," But fat hen is perfectly edible. "You can use the leaves in salads like spinach, make tea and eat the roots," he said. Mr Worrall Thompson.

The Healthy & Organic Living website has this notice: In H&OL7 p60 Antony Worral Thompson recommends using henbane in salads. In fact henbane is a very toxic plant and should never been eaten. As always, check with an expert when foraging or collecting wild plants.

In a related subject Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s all Yew can eat restaurant has closed following a dearth of repeat custom...