Okra, also 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 seed pods, which are typically green though red in some cultivars, and it is used in the cuisines of many countries.
Facts
Earliest Documented Use, From (Year) Origin RegionEast Africa (Ethiopia, Eritrea, eastern Sudan) 1 Connections
Sources
1. Okra, Wikipedia
Origin and distribution, origin
Okra originated in East Africa in Ethiopia, Eritrea and eastern Sudan.
Origin and distribution, earliest account
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.
Uses Ingredient: Gumbo, Culinary
Okra is one of three thickeners that may be used in gumbo soup from Louisiana.
Uses Ingredient: Brazilian Cuisine, Culinary, Brazil
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.
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