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OKRA


Okra is believed to have originated in that part of northeastern Africathat we now know as Ethiopia and is now a staple in much of Africa, theNear East, and the countries at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea.

Okra arrived in our southern states in the holds of slave ships. It wasintroduced in Louisiana by the French colonists and in the rest of NorthAmerica as an ingredient in Campbell's Chicken Gumbo Soup.

Although okra looks somewhat like a legume, it is a member of the Hibiscusfamily and is closely related to cotton. It thrives in areas that have long,hot, not too wet summers. In the United States we grow okra in Florida,Texas, Georgia, and New Jersey. In mid-winter some okra is imported fromMexico.

When properly prepared, okra is a flavorful vegetable, but when it is overcooked,the pods open up and attain a mucilaginous consistency and the result isa gluey mess.

Okra may be boiled, baked, or fried, but it is used mainly in Creole cooking.In Dixie, fried okra is a prized delicacy, and in New Orleans gumbo recipes,okra is combined with chicken or shellfish.

Okra, like artichokes, tends to discolor in the cooking process, especiallywhen cooked in aluminum pots. It causes a harmless chemical reaction thatdiscolors the utensils as well as darkens the okra. The trick to retardingand even eliminating this discoloration is to add fresh lemon juice or vinegarto the water. This also keeps the okra pods from opening up. Just as specialcare is needed when cooking okra, special care is also a must when shoppingfor it. You must be selective. Top quality okra is small and feels likevelvet to the touch. The smaller the pod, the more tender the okra.Pods under two and a half inches in length are ideal. The larger pods, especiallythose over four inches, are usually tough, woody, and too fibrous to chew.

Okra can also be found in the frozen-foods section. The baby whole frozenokra is far superior to the frozen cut okra.

WHEN TO BUY: Available year-round
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Small pods, under two and a half inches in length, thatare velvety to the touch
HOW TO STORE: Requires refrigeration


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