Okra
Okra loves heat and grows well in the deep South, where it’s eaten throughout the year. It is also known as lady’s finger or bamia, which comes from the Arabic word bamya, which the Egyptians and Moors called the plant in the 12th and 13th centuries. In Caribbean English and Nigeria, okra is okro from the Igbo language. It is also called ochro or gumbo. In Bantu languages, it is called (ki)ngombo. This is possibly the origin of the name gumbo, used in parts of the United States and the English-speaking Caribbean, referring to the Spanish/Portuguese quingombo.
Okra may have been introduced to southeastern North America from Africa in the early 18th century. Its existence in Brazil was documented in 1658, probably as a result of the slave trade.
Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family and is related to cotton, cocoa and hibiscus.
When Canadians refer to Chinese okra they mean a fibrous plant that grows in Asia and is used as a sponge. A member of the cucumber family, it is no relation to okra.
Okra has been used as a medicine due to its high fiber content, antioxidant, antibacterial, and mucilaginous properties.
Okra pods, containing round, white seeds, are one of the most widely used vegetables in tropical countries. While its geographical origins are disputed— West Africa, Ethiopia or South Asia—the plant is now cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.
Raw okra is 90% water, 2% protein, 7% carbohydrates and negligible in fat.
Okra contains glutathione, an antioxidant which protects from free radicals and keeps carcinogens from damaging DNA by eliminating chemicals in urine. It is high in calcium, potassium and Vitamin C, the latter important in fighting colds. It is also rich in magnesium, important for the nerves and muscles, to lower blood pressure, slow bone loss and protect from diabetes. To top it off, it is loaded with fiber, soluble and insoluble. The vegetable is rich in B complex vitamins. It also contains Vitamin K, important for blood clotting and bones.
Okra is available in two varieties, green and red. Red okra tastes the same as the more popular green. When cooked, red okra pods turn green.
Okra is one of the most heat and drought resistant vegetables in the world and will tolerate poor soils which are heavy in clay. It cannot survive frost.
When buying okra, look for crispy, medium sized green pods, better smaller than very large, and test to made sure it’s fresh. If you can’t easily push your fingernail through the outer skin of the pod, it’s probably too tough to eat, although if you have enough fresh okra, some tough pods can be mixed in to add texture and fiber. Avoid pods which are over-ripe, have a sunken appearance or discolored spots, have cuts and are mushy.
To store okra, do not first wash it as it will become slimy. Store it in a paper bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Do not freeze it, although it is fine to use previously frozen okra.
If you grow okra in a garden, its leaves are safe to eat in a variety of dishes.
Okra is often battered and fried, which isn’t healthy.
A better way to cook it is to steam it, which adds no fat and maintains most of the plant’s nutrients. The syrupy juice that’s released by okra provides many nutrients and is an excellent thickening agent for stews, soups and gumbos.
To minimize the mucilaginous nature, keep the pods intact and/or cook with acidic ingredients such as a few drops of lemon juice, vinegar or tomatoes. Throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean countries, okra is cooked with tomatoes and onions.
Alternatively, the pods can be sliced thinly and cooked for a long time so the mucilage dissolves, as in gumbo.
Another way to prepare okra is to lightly oil a hot pan using a spritzer and saute sliced okra and onions, adding tiny amounts of water as needed. This basically eliminates most of its syrup.
Pods can be pickled, eaten raw, or included in salads.
Okra can also be roasted in a 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes after being spritzed with oil and a spice of your choice (oregano, thyme, sage?).
Okra seeds can be substituted for coffee, as during the American Civil War when the Austin State Gazette boasted, “An acre of okra will produce seed enough to furnish a plantation with coffee in every way equal to that imported from Rio.” (No mention of Starbucks…)
Okra is one of my favorite vegetables, especially in gumbo and sauteed with onions in spritzed oil. Fresh okra is one of the things I enjoy about summer.
Okra loves heat and grows well in the deep South, where it’s eaten throughout the year. It is also known as lady’s finger or bamia, which comes from the Arabic word bamya, which the Egyptians and Moors called the plant in the 12th and 13th centuries. In Caribbean English and Nigeria, okra is okro from the Igbo language. It is also called ochro or gumbo. In Bantu languages, it is called (ki)ngombo. This is possibly the origin of the name gumbo, used in parts of the United States and the English-speaking Caribbean, referring to the Spanish/Portuguese quingombo.
Okra may have been introduced to southeastern North America from Africa in the early 18th century. Its existence in Brazil was documented in 1658, probably as a result of the slave trade.
Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family and is related to cotton, cocoa and hibiscus.
When Canadians refer to Chinese okra they mean a fibrous plant that grows in Asia and is used as a sponge. A member of the cucumber family, it is no relation to okra.
Okra has been used as a medicine due to its high fiber content, antioxidant, antibacterial, and mucilaginous properties.
Okra pods, containing round, white seeds, are one of the most widely used vegetables in tropical countries. While its geographical origins are disputed— West Africa, Ethiopia or South Asia—the plant is now cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.
Raw okra is 90% water, 2% protein, 7% carbohydrates and negligible in fat.
Okra contains glutathione, an antioxidant which protects from free radicals and keeps carcinogens from damaging DNA by eliminating chemicals in urine. It is high in calcium, potassium and Vitamin C, the latter important in fighting colds. It is also rich in magnesium, important for the nerves and muscles, to lower blood pressure, slow bone loss and protect from diabetes. To top it off, it is loaded with fiber, soluble and insoluble. The vegetable is rich in B complex vitamins. It also contains Vitamin K, important for blood clotting and bones.
Okra is available in two varieties, green and red. Red okra tastes the same as the more popular green. When cooked, red okra pods turn green.
Okra is one of the most heat and drought resistant vegetables in the world and will tolerate poor soils which are heavy in clay. It cannot survive frost.
When buying okra, look for crispy, medium sized green pods, better smaller than very large, and test to made sure it’s fresh. If you can’t easily push your fingernail through the outer skin of the pod, it’s probably too tough to eat, although if you have enough fresh okra, some tough pods can be mixed in to add texture and fiber. Avoid pods which are over-ripe, have a sunken appearance or discolored spots, have cuts and are mushy.
To store okra, do not first wash it as it will become slimy. Store it in a paper bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Do not freeze it, although it is fine to use previously frozen okra.
If you grow okra in a garden, its leaves are safe to eat in a variety of dishes.
Okra is often battered and fried, which isn’t healthy.
A better way to cook it is to steam it, which adds no fat and maintains most of the plant’s nutrients. The syrupy juice that’s released by okra provides many nutrients and is an excellent thickening agent for stews, soups and gumbos.
To minimize the mucilaginous nature, keep the pods intact and/or cook with acidic ingredients such as a few drops of lemon juice, vinegar or tomatoes. Throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean countries, okra is cooked with tomatoes and onions.
Alternatively, the pods can be sliced thinly and cooked for a long time so the mucilage dissolves, as in gumbo.
Another way to prepare okra is to lightly oil a hot pan using a spritzer and saute sliced okra and onions, adding tiny amounts of water as needed. This basically eliminates most of its syrup.
Pods can be pickled, eaten raw, or included in salads.
Okra can also be roasted in a 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes after being spritzed with oil and a spice of your choice (oregano, thyme, sage?).
Okra seeds can be substituted for coffee, as during the American Civil War when the Austin State Gazette boasted, “An acre of okra will produce seed enough to furnish a plantation with coffee in every way equal to that imported from Rio.” (No mention of Starbucks…)
Okra is one of my favorite vegetables, especially in gumbo and sauteed with onions in spritzed oil. Fresh okra is one of the things I enjoy about summer.
