Okra

Also known as gumbo, okra is native to tropical Africa. Although there little has been
written about this odd little pod, okra is thought to have originated in Abyssinia
(now Ethiopia) and east of the Sudan. First records of the plant came from a Spanish Moor
who wrote about it when visiting Egypt in 1216. The cultivation and consumption of okra
spread with the spread of slave traders who took it to Egypt and other Arab countries,
where it remains a popular dish today. Slave traders also took the vegetable on to North
Africa and the Mediterranean and out into the new world along with African slaves.
It became known as slave fruit in the deep south of America.

Benefits:
Okra is the edible fruit pod of a plant related to the hibiscus. The mucilages which make okra so sticky when cooked are the source of soluble dietary fibre. 1/2 cup cooked okra is a serve, and is:

•  a good source of fibre and vitamin C.
• a source of niacin, folate*, potassium and magnesium.
• a low joule food with about 95kJ per 100g.
• * 1/2 cup cooked okra contains about 42 micrograms of folate. 

Buying & Storing

When buying, select smooth, firm pods which are a brilliant emerald green colour and snap or burst easily when lightly pressed. Avoid okra with dry and dull skins and pods over 10cm in length - which can be woody and tough. Store okra unwashed and whole.