okra

/oh"kreuh/, n.

1. a shrub, Abelmoschus esculentus, of the mallow family, bearing beaked pods.

2. the pods, used in soups, stews, etc.

3. a dish made with the pods. Also called gumbo.

[1670-80; said to be of West African origin, though precise source unknown; cf. Igbo ókùrù okra]

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Herbaceous, hairy, annual plant (Hibiscus esculentus or Abelmoschus esculentus), of the mallow family, grown for its edible fruit.

Okra leaves are deeply notched; flowers are yellow with a crimson centre. The fruit, or pod, is a tapering, 10-angled capsule 4–10 in. (10–25 cm) long. Only the tender, unripe fruit is eaten; it is prepared in a number of ways and is a defining ingredient of the gumbos of the southern U.S. Because of its large amount of mucilage (a gelatinous substance), okra is used to thicken broths. In some countries the seeds are used as a substitute for coffee.

Okra (Hibiscus esculentus, or Abelmoschus esculentus).

Derek Fell

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▪ plant

 (Hibiscus, or Abelmoschus, esculentus), herbaceous, hairy, annual plant of the mallow family (Malvaceae). It is native to the tropics of the Eastern Hemisphere and is widely cultivated or naturalized in the tropics and subtropics of the Western Hemisphere for its edible fruit. The leaves are heart-shaped and three- to five-lobed; the flowers are yellow with a crimson centre. The fruit or pod, hairy at the base, is a tapering, 10-angled capsule, 10–25 cm (4–10 inches) in length (except in the dwarf varieties), that contains numerous oval, dark-coloured seeds. Only the tender, unripe fruit is eaten. It may be prepared like asparagus, sauteed, or pickled, and it is also an ingredient in various stews and in the gumbos (gumbo) of the southern United States; the large amount of mucilage (gelatinous substance) it contains makes it useful as a thickener for broths and soups. The fruit is grown on a large scale in the vicinity of Istanbul. In some countries the seeds are used as a substitute for coffee. The leaves and immature fruit long have been popular in the East for use in poultices to relieve pain.

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