Okra / Lady's Finger

Also known asOkra · Lady's Finger · Ladies' Fingers · Bhindi · Gumbo · Abelmoschus esculentus · 秋葵

Name: Okra, also called lady's finger, bhindi or gumbo (Abelmoschus esculentus) — a slender, ridged, green seed pod with a slightly fuzzy skin and a mild, grassy flavour, which releases a sticky, thick mucilage when cut and cooked.

Description

Okra is thought to have originated in north-eastern Africa, in the region of Ethiopia and Sudan, and spread across Africa, the Middle East and India, and was brought to the Americas by the transatlantic slave trade. It is an important vegetable in West African, Indian, Middle Eastern, Caribbean and Southern US cooking. The word gumbo comes from a Bantu word for okra, and the dish is named after it.

The slippery mucilage is prized for thickening gumbo and stews, but disliked by many in other dishes. It can be reduced by cooking okra whole, at high heat, or with acid such as tomato or vinegar, and by keeping it dry before cooking.

Main nutrition value

Okra provides vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, magnesium and fibre, including soluble fibre from the mucilage, for few calories.

How best to be consumed

Okra can be cooked to be slimy or crisp, depending on how it is prepared.

1. Simmer in gumbo, stews and curries, where the mucilage thickens the dish.
2. Fry whole or sliced, dusted in cornmeal, for crisp okra.
3. Roast or grill whole pods at high heat, to minimise sliminess.
4. Pat the pods dry, and cook with acidic ingredients such as tomatoes or lemon to reduce the slime.
5. Choose small, firm, bright green pods, and use within a few days.

Overconsumption could cause…

Okra is safe and healthy in food amounts.

1. Oxalates, which matter for people prone to kidney stones when eaten in very large amounts.
2. A lot of oil and calories if deep-fried.
3. Gas and bloating from the soluble fibre and fructans in some people.
4. Possible effects on blood sugar medicines such as metformin from very large amounts of okra water, so people on these should check with a doctor.

GroupsFruit VegetablesLow fatLow sodiumRich in folateRich in vitamin KFresh

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Wikipedia — Okra, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okra