What is okra?

Answer 1

Okra is a plant that produces an edible pod that is eaten as a vegetable. It originated in Africa, perhaps Ethiopia, and was brought to the Americas with the slave trade. The pods are green, have a ridged skin, and generally a narrow, tapering shape, although some can be almost round. (Pods longer than about 4 inches are likely to be tough and fibrous). In cooking, okra exudes a gummy fluid that often thickens whatever dish it’s in.

Okra is most popular in the south in the United States, and is available year-round there. Fresh, it is available in the rest of the country generally from May to October. It is also available canned, frozen, and dried.

Okra is best known as being an ingredient in southern gumbos, where both its flavor and thickening qualities are appreciated. Okra can be prepared in many ways, though – sautéed, stewed, braised, and baked.

nfd♥

Answer 2

I never ate okra until I moved to the southern states. I wouldn't touch boiled okra, too slimy, but I like it breaded and fried. I wouldn't add it to a vegetable soup but if someone else makes it, I'm fine with that.

Answer 3

Okra is a vegetable that is indeed loved by Southerners. I live in Louisiana and we use it in gumbo and stews, we eat it pickled, fried, boiled, sauteed, whole or in pieces and any other way it can be eaten! It does produce a thick, slimy substance when cooked but it helps to thicken many sauces and roux's. It is a main ingredient in most gumbos.

Answer 4

It's a green pod full of white, round seeds and slime. Here's a link to a pretty good picture (with a recipe!); you can see the whole pods of okra under the dish. My dad grows okra. I hate it. It is used in dishes called "gumbo".
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Southern-Okra/Detail.aspx

Answer 5

It's a kind of slimy vegetable. Actually, it says it's a fruit USED as a vegetable. It's used in gumbo, fried, or just sliced up and put into stews and soups.

Here's its Wiki page, complete with nutrition info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okra

Answer 6

A vegetable that is loved by southerners. It is a green pod 3 to 5 inches long. When opened it is full of seeds. Cooked, it has a slimy texture that turns some people off. It's used in soups and stews (especially gumbo) or sliced across then breaded and deep-fried. My grandmother grew it in her garden although she was only one in family who enjoyed it. She cooked it with fresh tomatoes from her garden. It was a side vegetable dish for her.

Answer 7

Okra is a vegetable. The seed pods are used for cooking, either fried or boiled. Fried okra (I think) is good, however my wife loves boiled okra, and it is quite slimy, almost the consistency of snot.

Answer 8

Okra comes from a large vegetable plant thought to be of African origin, and it was brought to the United States three centuries ago by African slaves. The word, derived from the West African nkruma, was in use by the late 1700s. Grown in tropical and warm temperate climates, it is in the same plant family as hibiscus and cotton.


Okra is a mucilaginous plant as such it gives off a slippery/sticky substance when cut. This substance gives okra it's thickening properties. This is why it is so useful in soups and stews. However, when used raw or as a vegetable it shouldn't be cut into too small pieces, as the more it is cut, the stickier it becomes.

Okra is used raw, pickled or cooked on it's own and compliments tomatoes, onions, eggplant, corn and peppers. Many people prefer to eat Okra fried or breaded as this reduces it's slipperyness.

Fried Okra

* 1 pound okra
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
* 2 cups self-rising cornmeal
* vegetable oil


Wash okra and drain well. Remove tip and stem end; cut okra into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle okra with salt; add buttermilk, stirring until well coated. Let stand at least 15 minutes; then drain okra well. Dredge in corn meal. Deep fry okra in hot oil at 375F until golden brown; drain on paper towels.
Serves 4 to 6.
Recipe from Telephone Pioneers Cookbook - Mississippi Chapter

Bayou Gumbo

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 cups frozen cut okra
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package (12-ounce) frozen shelled deveined cooked medium shrimp, rinsed
1 1/2 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
3 cups water


Directions:

In small saucepan, combine flour and oil; mix well. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes or until mixture turns reddish brown. Place flour-oil mixture in 3 1/2 to 4 quart Crockpot.

Stir in all remaining ingredients except shrimp, rice and water. Cover; cook on low setting for 7-9 hours. When ready to serve, cook rice in water as directed on package. Meanwhile, add shrimp to gumbo mixture in crockpot; mix well. Cover; cook on low setting for additional 20 minutes. Serve gumbo over rice.

Answer 9

slime..............literally !

a gourd-like vegetable that generates a viscous sticky juice when cooked, tastes a bit like zuccini and is in the squash? family

Answer 10

just so ya know...nobody from the bayou would ever put tomatoes in their gumbo...dats dem creoles for ya!!