Okra, also known as gumbo, is a vegetable used in various african dishes. The origin of this pod vegetable is unknown, but some researches place the first cultivation of okra in Ethiopia and ancient Egypt. Next to the use of okra as an african food it’s also used in many caribean, south-american and asian dishes. They can be used fried, cooked or even raw in many different dishes and salads. When cooked the seed pods get their famous slimeness or ‘goo’ fiber. This might not look really taste, but the taste of it is really delicious and gives it the real african flavour. the plant of the Okra grows in warm climates and is available fresh there all year round. In northern countries they are mostly available in summer or in the frozen section of your Asian, African or Caribean convenience store all year round. Okra can be found in different sizes and shapes and depending on a certain african dish one prefers a certain size. the vegetable can be used in stews, soups or as a fried or cooked vegetable. since Gumbo is used all over the African continent check out the different dishes and recipes for this delicious african pod vegetable.
