Okra plays essential role in recipes in multiple cultures
From India to the Deep South to southwest Ohio, okra has found its way into recipes everywhere.
Years ago, fresh, locally grown okra was scarce in southwest Ohio. Now, several local farmers around Oxford grow the vegetable and sell it to residents at the Oxford Farmers Market and MOON Co-op Market.
No vegetable is as evocative of the Deep South as okra. Arriving in the boats that brought enslaved West Africans to the Americas between the 17th and 19th centuries, okra became one of the few crops that enslaved people were permitted to grow in personal gardens.
As a result, okra carries a complex message. Is it a lingering visible symbol of slavery, or is it a symbol of cultural identity for the descendants of enslaved people and for the Deep South where slavery once flourished?
Okra is a key ingredient in gumbo, which is Louisiana’s official state food. The Lowcountry around Charleston, South Carolina also claims okra as a beloved vegetable. National Gumbo Day is Oct. 12, making now the perfect time to experiment with okra.
The words “okra” and “gumbo” probably derive from West African languages. The word “okra” is derived from Igbo, a language spoken by around 30 million people, mostly in Nigeria. “Gombo” is the word for the okra vegetable in several West African languages.
Okra is a fruit botanically related to cotton and cacao. It is oddly shaped, an elongated 5-sided pod with prickly skin, containing lots of white seeds and gel. “Okra’s a strange little vegetable, the kind of thing you might not guess was edible if no one told you,” writes Smithsonian Magazine.
The seeds and gel inside the pods have a gooey quality that helps thicken gumbo and other stews simmered slowly over low heat. When it is cooked long and slow, okra can retain a strong flavor and a slimy texture that can be off-putting.
I did not realize until a few years ago that okra is also an important ingredient in Indian cooking. I was surprised to learn that two-thirds of the world’s okra is grown in India. Okra may have originated in South Asia and migrated west to Africa.
Oxford’s premier Indian chef, Sarla Waikar, explained to me a few years ago that to cook okra, she first places black mustard seeds in hot peanut oil. She reduces the heat, adds sesame seeds, reduces the heat further, then adds cayenne peppers, turmeric, curry leaves and asafetida.
She then puts cut-up okra in the oil, increases the heat to medium-high, cooks for 5 minutes, and adds sugar. She covers the pan, reduces the heat to medium for 4-5 minutes, adds dried mango powder or fresh lime juice, sprinkles with chopped cilantro, and serves with rice, dal and flatbread.
As a less venturesome American, I follow advice from Sharon Harkrider of Stoney Hedgerow Farm, one of our principal local okra growers. Slice the okra into 1/4 inch pieces, trim and discard the stem ends, and make sure that the okra is very dry.
Beat 1 egg in a bowl and soak the okra pieces for 5-10 minutes. Dredge the okra pieces in cornmeal, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and fry in grapeseed oil until golden brown. Remove the okra and drain on paper.
Candidly, okra is one of the few local vegetables with limited appeal for me, but I like okra crispy fried the Stoney Hedgerow way.
James Rubenstein is president of the Board of Directors for the Oxford Free Press and professor emeritus of geography at Miami University.
