Okra

 

Okra

Abelmoschus esculentus

Origin: Africa

Quick Facts

  • ornamental flower with edible greens
  • flowers come in a variety of colors
  • grows well in hot Florida summer 
  • Swahili name is ‘mfungu’
  • another fact
  • another fact
  • another fact

HEADING about something general

A SUBHEADING about something specific

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is also called “gumbo” in Africa although the latter term is more often applied to soups or other dishes which contain okra. “Gumbo” is believed to be a corruption of a Portugese corruption, quingombo of the word quilobo, native name for the plant in the Congo and Angloa-area of Africa. 

In Africa

The name Okra comes from the Igbu word, okuru. The Egyptians and Moors referred to Okra as bamya in the 12th and 13th centuries. One of the earliest documented accounts of okra in Africa  is by a Spanish Moor who visited Egypt in 1216 and described the plant under cultivation by the locals who ate the tender, young pods with  meal .

 

Gumbo cookoff in Pensacola, 1980 Florida Memory

In America

Okra was introduced to the United States through the enslavement of African people.  Okra was first documented in Virginia in 1679 and the word gumbo was first recorded in Louisiana in 1805. 

Nutrition Facts

Raw okra is rich in  dietary fiber ,  vitamin C  and  vitamin K , with moderate amounts of thiamin, folate, and magnesium. Okra is mucilaginous , resulting in the characteristic “goo” or  slime  when the seed pods are cooked; the mucilage contains  soluble fiber. In poor countries, Okra is used to prevent malnutrition  and alleviate  food insecurity.  

Source USDA National Nutrient Database

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In Your Garden

Okra is among the most heat- and drought-tolerant vegetable species in the world. Once established, it will tolerate  soils  with heavy  clay  and intermittent moisture, yet frost can damage the edible pods.

For planting, soak the seeds over night. They can be planted indoors under full light three to four weeks before the last spring frost. Otherwise, the seeds can be planted directly into the garden after the last frost and temperatures reach at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Seedlings require ample water, yet the plant become drought tolerant once it is established.  The plant will begin continuously producing edible pods within 30 days. The pods may be green or red, and they must be harvested within one week to be edible.  

 

Recipes for Your Table

 

Okra pods are available in two varieties; green and red. Red okra tastes the same as green okra, and when cooked, the red okra pods turn green. Both varieties possible way to de-slime okra is to cook it with an acidic food, such as tomatoes, to render the mucilage less viscous. Pods are cooked, pickled, eaten raw, or included in salads.

Fried Okra

Ingredients 

  • 10 raw okra pods
  • 1 Egg, whole raw fresh
  • 1 cup of cornmeal, degermed, enrich, yellow
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, table
  • 1/4 teaspoon spices, pepper, black
  • 1/2 cup oil, soybean, salad or cooking

Directions

In a small bowl, soak okra in egg for 5 to 10 min. In a
medium bowl, combine cornmeal, salt and pepper
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge
okra in the cornmeal mixture, coating evenly. Carefully
place okra in hot oil stir continuously. Reduce heat to
medium when okra first starts to brown and cook until
golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Source: Taste of Home. Southern Okra. 2020.

References & Resources

This page was authored by Whitney Davis and Chloe Louidor

as part of HUM2420: African Humanities at Santa Fe College, and edited by Dr. Sarah Cervone in the Department of Humanities and Foreign Languages at Santa Fe College. 

This page was created as part of a Florida Folk Life Project, a collaboration with Santa Fe College and the Matheson Historical Museum. 

For more information visit www.thefloridafolklifeproject.org