Okra

The species is a perennial, often cultivated as an annual in temperate climates, often growing to around tall. As a member of the Malvaceae, it is related to such species as cotton, cocoa, and hibiscus. The leaves are long and broad, palmately lobed with 5–7 lobes. The flowers are in diameter, with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base. The pollen grains are spherical and approximately 188 microns in diameter. The fruit is a capsule up to long with pentagonal cross-section, containing numerous seeds. ==Etymology==

The first use of the word okra (alternatively; okro or ochro) appeared in 1679 in the Colony of Virginia, probably deriving from ' or Akan nkruma.''''' The scientific name can be broken down and translated: '''''' is Neo-Latin from , which was likely derived from the plant's seeds displaying a sweet, musky aroma when crushed; '''''' is Latin for 'edible' or 'being fit for human consumption'. Another common name for okra in the Americas is gumbo, which entered American English around 1805 via Louisiana Creole, and traces back to Bantu languages such as or . Although gumbo now primarily denotes a stew-like dish across much of the United States, in the Deep South and among African diaspora communities, it has long referred to the okra plant and its pods. == Origin and distribution ==

Okra is an allopolyploid of uncertain parentage. However, proposed parents include Abelmoschus ficulneus, A. tuberculatus and a reported diploid form of okra. Truly wild (as opposed to naturalised) populations are not known with certainty, and the West African variety has been described as a cultigen. Okra originated in East Africa in Ethiopia, Eritrea and eastern Sudan. From Arabia, the plant spread around the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and eastward. The plant was introduced to the Americas by ships plying the Atlantic slave trade by 1658, when its presence was recorded in Brazil. It was further documented in Suriname in 1686. Okra may have been introduced to southeastern North America from Africa in the early 18th century. By 1748 it was being grown as far north as Philadelphia. Thomas Jefferson noted 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. == Cultivation ==

Abelmoschus esculentus is cultivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world for its fibrous fruits or pods containing round, white seeds. It is among the most heat- and drought-tolerant vegetable species in the world and will tolerate soils with heavy clay and intermittent moisture, but frost can damage the pods. In cultivation, the seeds are soaked overnight prior to planting to a depth of . It prefers a soil temperature of at least for germination, which occurs between six days (soaked seeds) and three weeks. As a tropical plant, it also requires a lot of sunlight, and it should also be cultivated in soil that has a pH between 5.8 and 7, ideally on the acidic side. Seedlings require ample water. The seed pods rapidly become fibrous and woody and, to be edible as a vegetable, must be harvested when immature, usually within a week of pollination. The first harvest will typically be ready about 2 months after planting, and the pods will be approximately long. In the U.S. much of the supply is grown in Florida, especially around Dade in southern Florida. Okra is grown throughout the state to some degree, so okra is available ten months of the year. Yields range from less than to over . Wholesale prices can go as high as $18/bushel which is . The Regional IPM Centers provide integrated pest management plans for use in the state. ==Production==

In 2023, world production of okra was 11.5 million tonnes, led by India with 62% of the total, and Nigeria and Mali as secondary producers (table). ==Nutrition==

Raw okra is 90% water, 7% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and has negligible fat (table). In a reference amount of , raw okra supplies 33 calories, and is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin C and vitamin K (table). It has moderate content (10-19% DV) of thiamine, folate, magnesium, and potassium (table). == Culinary ==

Okra is one of three thickeners that may be used in gumbo soup from Louisiana. Fried okra is a dish from the Cuisine of the Southern United States. In Cuba and Puerto Rico, the vegetable is referred to as quimbombó, and is used in dishes such as quimbombó guisado (stewed okra), a dish similar to gumbo. It is also used in traditional dishes in the Dominican Republic, where it is called molondrón. 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. In South Asia, the pods are used in many spicy vegetable preparations as well as cooked with beef, mutton, lamb and chicken. Pods The pods of the plant are mucilaginous, resulting in the characteristic "goo" or slime when the seed pods are cooked; the mucilage contains soluble fiber. One possible way to de-slime okra is to cook it with an acidic food, such as tomatoes, to minimize the mucilage. Pods are cooked, pickled, eaten raw, or included in salads. Okra may be used in developing countries to mitigate malnutrition and alleviate food insecurity. Greenish-yellow edible okra oil is pressed from okra seeds; it has a pleasant taste and odor, and is high in unsaturated fats such as oleic acid and linoleic acid. The oil content of some varieties of the seed is about 40%. At , the yield was exceeded only by that of sunflower oil in one trial. ==Industrial==

Bast fibre from the stem of the plant has industrial uses such as the reinforcement of polymer composites. The mucilage produced by the okra plant can be used for the removal of turbidity from wastewater by virtue of its flocculant properties. Having composition similar to a thick polysaccharide film, okra mucilage is under development as a biodegradable food packaging, as of 2018. A 2009 study found okra oil suitable for use as a biofuel. A 2025 study suggests that okra polymers, along with fenugreek, may be successful as treatments for removing microplastics from water. == Gallery ==

File:Giant okra.jpg|A giant okra pod File:Okra blossom with pollen.png|Flower close-up File:Lady's finger (stamen and pollen).jpg|Stamen and pollen File:Okra seedling, hydroponic, 7days.JPG|Young seedling showing cotyledons File:Oklahoma-grown okra.jpg|Fresh-picked fruits File:Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) cross-section - 20080613.png|Cross-section of a pod File:Stir-Fried-Okra-2008.jpg|Stir-fried sliced okra fruits == References ==