Okra: Many Names, Many Uses

            Whether you call it bhindi, lady fingers, bamya, gumbo or okra, the edible green seed pods increasingly available in Canadian grocery stores have as many different uses as they do names. Although many Canadian consumers have had little exposure to okra it has been consumed widely in warmer regions of the world for centuries. Believed to have originated in Ethiopia, initial okra cultivation began in Egypt and soon spread throughout Africa, the Middle East and Southern Asia. This warm weather loving crop made its way to the Americas in the 1700s during the slave trade and it has since become a staple in Cajun and Louisiana Creole cooking throughout the Southern United States. Fortunately, recipes to prepare okra are as diverse as the cultural groups who regularly incorporate this vegetable into their diets.  

            

                Admittedly, most of the Canadians I know are a little perplexed by okra. As it is a tender crop that requires hot temperatures and an absence of frost okra is not widely cultivated in Canada. Covered in tiny hairs and full of small, white seeds it is often not immediately appealing to those without experience preparing it. Its allure tends to decrease further still once it is learned that the okra secretes ‘slime’ when cooked in with water.  ‘Sliminess’, prized by some, tends not to be an endearing quality for a vegetable to have by most Canadians' standards. Yet okra is a nutritious, low calorie source of dietary fiber, foliate, as well as vitamins A, C and B6. In addition to these nutritional benefits it is a highly versatile cooking ingredient. It is only in recent years that okra has become more widely available in mainstream supermarkets in Canada spurred by demand from South Asian and Afro-Caribbean immigrants. Fortunately for an inexperienced okra consumer like myself there are a plethora of recipes and cooking techniques available to either minimize or capitalize on okra’s unique gelatinous properties.   

        

                Common methods of preparing okra include stir-frying, deep-frying or adding to curries or stews. African preparations of okra vary between these main forms of cooking, often incorporating combinations of tomatoes, onions and spices. Deep fried okra that has been sliced and battered in cornmeal is popular throughout the Southern United States, though okra is also well known as an ingredient in gumbo stew to which it lends its name.[1] Okra’s gelatinous properties act as thickening agents in stews such as gumbo and its mild flavour is said to compliment various seafood ingredients.[2] Conversely, stir-frying okra can minimize its internal gumminess. For my first okra-preparation experience I have enlisted the assistance of friend whose Indian family has shared a simple okra stir-fry recipe with me.

                While the appearance of okra in mainstream Canadian supermarkets may not have caused much of a stir among Canadians of European decent, you can bet that Indian-Canadians have noticed this change. As one of the most highly preferred vegetables consumed by the South Asian population okra’s increasing availability is seen as a small triumph for new Canadians of South Asian descent who remember a time just a few years ago that it was very difficult to access this key ingredient. “I still remember the day my dad called me a couple of years ago just to tell me that they were selling okra in the produce section of our local grocery store” my friend laughed as we chatted about popular Indian okra dishes. She suggested I try an easy okra stir fry recipe that her mom frequently prepares. Her instructions went as follows:

  

Okra Fry (Serves 4) - Cooking Oil - 2 red onions, finely diced - 1 tbsp cumin - 2 tbsp ginger, finely grated - green chili: amount according to personal taste - 2 gloves of garlic - 2 pounds of okra - salt to taste 1. Add 1 tbsp cumin in cooking oil in frying pan set on medium heat. When the cumin begins to turn red add the diced garlic, ginger and green chili to the pan. As the garlic is turning red add diced onions. 2. Once the onions become translucent add okra that has been cut in half inch rounds. Stir and add 1/2 a tsp of masala powder and salt to taste. 3. Remove from heat when the okra has softened. Serve!

                Not only was this recipe quick and simple to prepare, I was also pleasantly surprised by its taste. As I had never eaten okra before I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I took my first bite. The okra slices were slightly crisp and spicy, far from the slimy mess that I had assumed they might turn into. With so many opportunities to prepare okra incorporating global tastes it is unfortunate that there are so few opportunities to eat fresh okra that is produced locally. Canadian okra production at present is generally limited to small scale producers who bring their knowledge of okra production with them to Canada. As the South Asian population in cities such as Brampton continues to grow, Ontario horticultural producers should explore the new marketing opportunities that increased demand for okra and other ECV crops present. Personally, with so many other okra recipes out there to try, I am certain that my relationship with okra has just begun! 

Stacie Irwin - Undergraduate Research Assistant, ECVOntario team 2011

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[1] See http://www.southernliving.com/food/entertaining/classic-gumbo-00400000007725/

[2] See http://www.livestrong.com/article/465499-gumbo-with-okra-tomato-squash/