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? Okra
Okra leaves, flower buds and young fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Genus: Abelmoschus Species: A. esculentus
Binomial name
Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench

Okra, also called lady's finger, or bhindi in Indian cuisine, is a flowering plant in the mallow family Malvaceae, originating somewhere near present-day Ethiopia. It was formerly considered a species of Hibiscus, but is now classified in the genus Abelmoschus. The word okra is of African origin and means "lady's fingers" in Igbo, a language spoken in what is now known as Nigeria.

It is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant, growing to 2 m tall. The leaves are 10-20 cm long and broad, palmately lobed with 5-7 lobes. The flowers are 4-8 cm diameter, with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base of each petal. The fruit is a capsule, 5-20 cm long, containing numerous seeds.

Cultivation and uses

Okra is grown throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world for its fibrous pods full of round, white seeds, which, when picked young, are eaten as a vegetable. It was brought to the United States via the African slave trade route, and can be grown in the southern states as an annual crop. It is also one of the most popular vegetables in late 20th century Japanese cuisine. In Palestine, Jordan and other parts of the eastern Mediterranean, okra, known in Arabic as bamia, is widely used in a thick stew made with vegetables and meat.

Okra seeds should be soaked overnight before planting. They should then be planted 1-2 cm deep when the ground is warm; it will tolerate poor soils with heavy clay and intermittent moisture. Germination ranges from six days (soaked seeds) to three weeks (dry seeds watered in followed by cool spell). Water seedlings well. Okra is among the most heat- and drought-tolerant vegetables in the world; once established, it can survive severe drought conditions.

The best okra, like almost all vegetables, is young and fresh right out of the garden. Okra gets very woody when it gets too mature, so it is best to pick often, and refrigerate for a few days until it is required.

Okra may be steamed until tender, either whole or sliced about 1 cm thick. Okra can also be boiled with tomatoes, fried in a cornmeal batter, or simply stir-fried. Okra can also be the thickening agent in gumbo; when cooked, it has the same mucilaginous properties as nopales (the pads of the prickly pear cactus). It can also be pickled. In the southern United States it is occasionally breaded and fried or served au gratin.

Other food plants called okra

Some other food plants have been given common names alluding to their similarities to okra:

• Molokhiya, also called "bush okra"
• Luffa, also called "Chinese okra"

References

• ITIS 21770
• origines

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