FoodFood InformationVegetables
Okra is believed to have originated in that part of northeastern Africa
that we now know as Ethiopia and is now a staple in much of Africa, the
Near 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 was
introduced in Louisiana by the French colonists and in the rest of North
America as an ingredient in Campbell's Chicken Gumbo Soup.
Although okra looks somewhat like a legume, it is a member of the Hibiscus
family 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 from
Mexico.
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 is
a 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, especially
when cooked in aluminum pots. It causes a harmless chemical reaction that
discolors the utensils as well as darkens the okra. The trick to retarding
and even eliminating this discoloration is to add fresh lemon juice or vinegar
to the water. This also keeps the okra pods from opening up. Just as special
care is needed when cooking okra, special care is also a must when shopping
for it. You must be selective. Top quality okra is small and feels like
velvet 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, especially
those 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 frozen
okra 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, that
are velvety to the touch
HOW TO STORE: Requires refrigeration
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