Okra (US: , UK: ), Abelmoschus esculentus, known in some English-speaking countries as lady's fingers, is a flowering plant in the mallow family native to West Africa. Cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions around the world for its edible green (red in some cultivars) seed pods, okra is used in the cuisines of many countries.
Description The species is a perennial, often cultivated as an annual in temperate climates, often growing to around 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) tall. As a member of the Malvaceae, it is related to such species as cotton, cocoa, and hibiscus. The leaves are 10–20 centimetres (4–8 in) long and broad, palmately lobed with 5–7 lobes. The flowers are 4–8 cm (1+5⁄8–3+1⁄8 in) in diameter, with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base. The pollen grains are spherical and approximately 188 microns in diameter. The fruit is a capsule up to 18 cm (7 in) long with pentagonal cross-section, containing numerous seeds.
Etymology The word okra derives from a West African language, probably Igbo: ọ́kwụ̀rụ̀, appearing first in English in 1679 in the Colony of Virginia. The scientific name can be broken down and translated: Abelmoschus is Neo-Latin from Arabic: أabū l-misk, romanized: father of musk, which was likely derived from the plant's seeds displaying a sweet, musky aroma when crushed; esculentus is Latin for 'edible' or 'being fit for human consumption'.
Origin and distribution
Okra is an allopolyploid of uncertain parentage. However, proposed parents include Abelmoschus ficulneus, A. tuberculatus and a reported diploid form of okra. Truly wild (as opposed to naturalised) populations are not known with certainty, and the West African variety has been described as a cultigen. Okra originated in East Africa in Ethiopia, Eritrea and eastern Sudan. From Arabia, the plant spread around the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and eastward. Okra was introduced to Europe by the Umayyad conquest of Hispania. One of the earliest accounts is by Abu al-Abbas al-Nabati, who visited Ayyubid Egypt in 1216 and described the plant under cultivation by the locals who ate the tender young pods with meal. The plant was introduced to the Americas by ships plying the Atlantic slave trade by 1658, when its presence was recorded in Brazil. It was further documented in Suriname in 1686. Okra may have been introduced to southeastern North America from Africa in the early 18th century. By 1748 it was being grown as far north as Philadelphia. Thomas Jefferson noted it was well established in Virginia by 1781. It was commonplace throughout the Southern United States by 1800, and the first mention of different cultivars was in 1806.
Cultivation Abelmoschus esculentus is cultivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world for its fibrous fruits or pods containing round, white seeds. It is among the most heat- and drought-tolerant vegetable species in the world and will tolerate soils with heavy clay and intermittent moisture, but frost can damage the pods. In cultivation, the seeds are soaked overnight prior to planting to a depth of 1–2 cm (3⁄8–13⁄16 in). It prefers a soil temperature of at least 20 °C (68 °F) for germination, which occurs between six days (soaked seeds) and three weeks. As a tropical plant, it also requires a lot of sunlight, and it should also be cultivated in soil that has a pH between 5.8 and 7, ideally on the acidic side. Seedlings require ample water. The seed pods rapidly become fibrous and woody and, to be edible as a vegetable, must be harvested when immature, usually within a week of pollination. The first harvest will typically be ready about 2 months after planting, and the pods will be approximately 2–3 inches (51–76 mm) long. The most common disease afflicting the okra plant is verticillium wilt, often causing a yellowing and wilting of the leaves. Other diseases include powdery mildew in dry tropical regions, leaf spots, yellow mosaic and root-knot nematodes. Resistance to yellow mosaic virus in A. esculentus was transferred through a cross with Abelmoschus manihot and resulted in a new variety called Parbhani kranti. In the U.S. much of the supply is grown in Florida, especially around Dade in southern Florida. Okra is grown throughout the state to some degree, so okra is available ten months of the year. Yields range from less than 18,000 pounds per acre (20,000 kg/ha) to over 30,000 pounds per acre (34,000 kg/ha). Wholesale prices can go as high as $18/bushel which is $0.60 per pound ($1.3/kg). The Regional IPM Centers provide integrated pest management plans for use in the state.
Production In 2023, world production of okra was 11.5 million tonnes, led by India with 62% of the total, and Nigeria and Mali as secondary producers (table).
Nutrition Raw okra is 90% water, 7% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and has negligible fat (table). In a reference amount of 100 g (3.5 oz), raw okra supplies 33 calories, and is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin C and vitamin K (table). It has moderate content (10-19% DV) of thiamine, folate, magnesium, and potassium (table).
Medicinal Medieval Islamic medicine considers okra a medical plant; and according to Andalusian physician Ibn al-Baytar, okra has "cool" and "moist" traits, and is "the 'moistest' of all vegetables" (which is undesirable).
Culinary Okra is one of three thickeners that may be used in gumbo soup from Louisiana. Fried okra is a dish from the Cuisine of the Southern United States. In Cuba and Puerto Rico, the vegetable is referred to as quimbombó, and is used in dishes such as quimbombó guisado (stewed okra), a dish similar to gumbo. It is also used in traditional dishes in the Dominican Republic, where it is called molondrón. In Brazil, it is an important component of several regional dishes, such as caruru, made with shrimp, in the Northeastern region, and frango com quiabo (chicken with okra) and carne refogada com quiabo (stewed meat with okra) in Minas Gerais. In South Asia, the pods are used in many spicy vegetable preparations as well as cooked with beef, mutton, lamb and chicken.
Pods
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