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07-SEPTEMBER-2008 03:17:44 - Okra Abelmoschus esculentus Unpicked okra Unpicked okra Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Genus: Abelmoschus Species: A. esculentus Binomial name Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench Okra American English: ˈoÊŠkɹa, British English ˈəʊkɹə, ˈɒkɹə, also known as lady's finger1, bhindi Hindustani and gumbo, is a flowering plant in the mallow family along with such species as cotton and cocoa valued for its edible green fruits. Its scientific name is Abelmoschus esculentus. The species is an annual or perennial, growing to 2 m tall. The leaves are 10-20 cm long and broad, palmately lobed with 5-7 lobes. The flowers are 4-8 cm diameter, with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base of each petal. The fruit is a capsule up to 18 cm long, containing numerous seeds. Contents 1 Etymology, origin and distribution 2 Uses 3 Cultivation 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Etymology, origin and distribution Okra is occasionally referred to by the synonym, Hibiscus esculentus L. The name okra is of West African origin and is cognate with á»?Ì?kụ̀rụ̀ in Igbo, a language spoken in Nigeria. In various Bantu languages, okra is called kingombo or a variant thereof, and this is the origin of its name in Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French. The Arabic bÄ?myah is the basis of the names in the Middle East, the Balkans, Turkey, Greece, North Africa and Russia . In Southern Asia, its name is usually a variant of bhindi or vendi. Okra flower bud and immature seed pod Okra flower bud and immature seed pod The species apparently originated in the Ethiopian Highlands, though the manner of distribution from there is undocumented. The Egyptians and Moors of the 12th and 13th centuries used the Arab word for the plant, suggesting that it had come from the east. The plant may thus have been taken across the Red Sea or the Bab-el-Mandeb strait to the Arabian Peninsula, rather than north across the Sahara. One of the earliest accounts is by a Spanish Moor who visited Egypt in 1216, who described the plant under cultivation by the locals who ate the tender, young pods with meal.2 From Arabia, the plant spread around the shores of the Merranean Sea and eastward. The lack of a word for okra in the ancient languages of India suggests that it arrived there in the Common Era. The plant was introduced to the Americas by ships plying the Atlantic slave trade3 by 1658, when its presence was recorded in Brazil. It was further documented in Suriname in 1686. Okra may have been introduced to the southeastern North America in the early 18th century and gradually spread. It was being grown as far north as Philadelphia by 1748, while Thomas Jefferson noted that 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 1806.2 Uses Okra Nutritional value per 100 g 3.5 oz Energy 30 kcal 150 kJ Carbohydrates 7.6 g - Dietary fibre 3.2 g Fat 0.1 g Protein 2.0 g Folate Vit. B9 87.8 μg 22% Vitamin C 21 mg 35% Calcium 75 mg 8% Magnesium 57 mg 15% Vitamin A 660 IU Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Abelmoschus esculentus is cultivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world for its fibrous fruits or pods containing round, white seeds. The fruits are harvested when immature and eaten as a vegetable. A high resolution scan showing pentagonal cross-section of fruit A high resolution scan showing pentagonal cross-section of fruit A traditional food plant in Africa, this little-known vegetable has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.4 In Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Yemen,5 and other parts of the eastern Merranean, okra is widely used in a thick stew made with vegetables and meat. In Indian cooking, it is sauteed or added to gravy-based preparations and is very popular in South India. In Caribbean islands okra is cooked up and eaten as soup, often with fish. In Haiti it is use in rice and maiz and also with meat for sauce. It became a popular vegetable in Japanese cuisine toward the end of the 20th century, served with soy sauce and katsuobushi or as tempura. It is used as a thickening agent in gumbo. Breaded, deep fried okra is served in the southern United States. The immature pods may also be pickled. Okra fruits used as a vegetable Okra fruits used as a vegetable Okra slices show the pentagonal cross-section of the fruit Okra slices show the pentagonal cross-section of the fruit Okra leaves may be cooked in a similar manner as the greens of beets or dandelions.6 The leaves are also eaten raw in salads.citation needed Okra seeds may be roasted and ground to form a non-caffeinated substitute for coffee.2 As imports were disrupted by the American Civil War in 1861, the Austin State Gazette noted, An acre of okra will produce seed enough to furnish a plantation of fifty negroes with coffee in every way equal to that imported from Rio.7 Okra forms part of several regional 'signature' dishes. Frango com quiabo chicken with okra is a Brazilian dish that is especially famous in the region of Minas Gerais. Gumbo, a hearty stew whose key ingredient is okra, is found throughout the Gulf Coast of the United States and in the South Carolina Lowcountry. The word gumbo is based on the Central Bantu word for okra, kigombo, via the Caribbean Spanish guingambó or quimbombó.2 It is also an expected ingredient in callaloo, a Caribbean dish and the national dish of Trinidad Tobago. Okra is also enjoyed in Nigeria where okra soup Draw soup is a special delicacy with Garriebaor akpu. Okra oil is a pressed seed oil, extracted from the seeds of the okra. The greenish yellow edible oil has a pleasant taste and odor, and is high in unsaturated fats such as oleic acid and linoleic acid.8 The oil content of the seed is quite high at about 40%. Oil yields from okra crops are also high. At 794 kg/ha, the yield was exceeded only by that of sunflower oil in one trial.9 Unspecified parts of the plant reportedly possess diuretic properties.1011 Cultivation Okra flowers range from white to yellow Okra flowers range from white to yellow Abelmoschus esculentus is among the most heat- and drought-tolerant vegetable species in the world. It will tolerate poor soils with heavy clay and intermittent moisture. Severe frost can damage the pods.citation needed It is an annual crop in the southern United States. In cultivation, the seeds are soaked overnight prior to planting to a depth of 1-2 cm. Germination occurs between six days soaked seeds and three weeks. Seedlings require ample water.citation needed The seed pods rapidly become fibrous and woody and must be harvested within a week of the fruit being pollinated to be edible.2 The products of the plant are mucilaginous, resulting in the characteristic goo when the seed pods are cooked. In order to avoid this effect, okra pods are often stir fried, so the moisture is cooked away, or paired with slightly acidic ingredients, such as citrus or tomatoes. The cooked leaves are also a powerful soup thickener.citation needed Based on the rising experiences with its country cousin, kenaf Hibiscus cannabinus, okra could, at least in principle, have a future producing yet more things that are strange for a vegetable crop, including:citation needed Construction materials. Kenaf-blend panels are said to perform better than the present particleboard. Handicrafts. Kenaf fiber makes excellent mats, hats, baskets, and more. Forage. Chopping up the whole kenaf plant and feeding it to animals has proven successful. Fuel. Kenaf roots and stems burn fiercely. See also Molokhiya, also called bush okra Luffa, also called Chinese okra References Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Abelmoschus esculentus Wikibooks Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on Okra ^ 1, Webster's Online Dictionary: Okra. Rerieved 2006-09-23. ^ a b c d e Okra, or 'Gumbo,' from Africa, tamu.edu ^ Okra gumbo and rice by Sheila S. Walker, The News Courier, unknown date ^ National Research Council 2006-10-27. Okra, Lost Crops of Africa: Volume II: Vegetables, Lost Crops of Africa 2. National Academies Press. ISBN 978-0-309-10333-6. Retrieved on 2008-07-15. ^ Julia Devlin and Peter Yee. Trade Logistics in Developing Countries: The Case of the Middle East and North Africa. p. 445 ^ Okra Greens and Corn Saute, recipe copyrighted to c.1996, M.S. Milliken S. Feniger, hosted by foodnetwork.com ^ Austin State Gazette TEX., November 9, 1861, p. 4, c. 2, copied in Confederate Coffee Substitutes: Articles from Civil War Newspapers, University of Texas at Tyler ^ Franklin W. Martin 1982. Okra, Potential Multiple-Purpose Crop for the Temperate Zones and Tropics. Economic Botany 36: 340-345. ^ Mays, D.A., W. Buchanan, B.N. Bradford, and P.M. Giordano 1990. Fuel production potential of several agricultural crops. Advances in new crops: 260-263. ^ Felter, Harvey Wickes Lloyd, John Uri. Hibiscus Esculentus.-Okra., King's American Dispensatory, 1898, retrieved March 23, 2007. ^ Abelmoschus esculentus - L.Moench., Plants for a Future, June 2004, retrieved March 23, 2007. External links ITIS 21770 Retrieved from http://en..org/wiki/Okra Categories: Malvaceae | Tropical agriculture | Medicinal plants | Fiber plants | Vegetable-like fruits | Cuisine of the Southern United States | Greek cuisine | Japanese cuisine | Turkish cuisine | Palestinian cuisineHidden categories: Articles containing non-English language text | All articles with statements | Articles with statements since June 2007 | Articles with statements since July 2007 Views Article Discussion this page History Personal tools Log in / create account Navigation Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Search Go Search Interaction Community portal Recent changes Contact Donate to Help Toolbox What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Printable version Permanent link Cite this page Languages العربية Bân-lâm-gú Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Ù?ارسی Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本語 Polski Português РуÑ?Ñ?кий Suomi Svenska Tagalog తెలà±?à°—à±? ไทย Türkçe УкраїнÑ?ька Tiếng Việt ä¸æ–‡ This page was last modified on 20 August 2008, at 03:5
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