Okra, also called “gumbo” in Africa, is a well-known horticultural crop.
Is okra an African word?
Okra is an African word (nkruma in one Ghanaian language) and appears to have been used in South Carolina the way that the word “gumbo” (from the Angolan word ngombo) is used in Louisiana.
What do we call okra in South Africa?
Originating in Africa, the plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world. Okra (Hibiscus escu- lentus) is also called “gumbo” in this country, although the latter term is more often applied to soups or other dishes which contain okra. Both of these names are of African origin.
Is okra an African crop?
Since okra is a native African food, it’s believed by many to have come to America with the African slaves. However, it’s also possible that French colonists brought it to Lousiana in the early 1700’s, or it came into the port of New Orleans from Brazil where it was established as a crop in the mid-1600’s.
What is the origin of the word okra?
The name “okra” is of West African origin and is cognate with “ọ́kụ̀rụ̀” in Igbo, a language spoken in Nigeria. It is called “Ila” in Yoruba Language (Western Nigeria). In various Bantu languages, okra is called “kingombo” or a variant thereof, and this is the origin of its name in Portuguese, Spanish and French.
Is okra an Igbo word?
Okra is a tall, green plant whose pods are eaten as a vegetable. It is often used in soups and similar dishes. The original word was okuru, from the Igbo language of Nigeria.
Why is okra called ladies finger?
The slave owners must have become curious about these green pods, so elegantly shaped they would be called ladies fingers.
What is okra called in UK?
Okra or Okro (US: /ˈoʊkrə/, UK: /ˈɒkrə/), Abelmoschus esculentus, known in many English-speaking countries as ladies’ fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family.
Is okra popular in South Africa?
Okra is a nutritious fruit vegetable in the family Malvaceae. The immature fruit are consumed in small quantities in developing countries in the world, but the crop is rarely produced in some areas of South Africa.
What is the difference between okra and OKRO?
What is the difference between Okro and Okra? Okra is referred to as okro in some West African countries but they are basically the same thing.
What is okra called in West Africa?
In several West African languages, the word for okra is ki ngombo, or, in its shortened form, gombo.” Early on, the word was frequently used alongside “okra” by English writers.
Is okra popular in Africa?
A popular soup vegetable, very much appreciated in West Africa for its thickening power, okra pod is used both fresh and dried. Dry pods are also pounded into flour that is commonly added to foods.
What does gumbo mean in Africa?
okra
Most food historians agree that this popular South Louisiana dish has its origins in West Africa. Consider the word “gumbo” which comes from the West African word “ki ngombo” for “okra”. West Africans used okra as a thickener in their version of the dish.
What language is the word okra?
The name okra comes from Nigeria, from the Igbo language, which called the sticky plant – okuru.
What cultures use okra?
Today okra is popular in Africa, the Middle East, Greece, Turkey, India, the Caribbean, South America and the Southern U.S. It is not a very common vegetable in most European countries, except for Greece and parts of Turkey.
Is okra an English word?
okra in American English
1. 2. the pods, used as a cooked vegetable and in soups, stews, etc.
What family is okra?
Okra—also known as lady’s-fingers, gumbo, or bhindi—is the most important vegetable crop of the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It belongs to the genus Abelmoschus and family Malvaceae.
What type of fruit is okra?
The fruit of Okra is a capsule which is a simple dry fruit that is dehiscent in nature. A capsule is a multi-chambered and multi seeded fruit that develops from a multicarpellary, syncarpous superior ovary which means that there are 2-3 carpels present fused together.
What is okra related to?
Okra is a beautiful, edible, flowering plant that is part of the mallow family (related to cotton, cocoa, and hibiscus) and originated in Africa.
Is okra good for ladies?
It’s rich in magnesium, folate, fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C, K1, and A. Okra may benefit pregnant women, heart health, and blood sugar control. It may even have anticancer properties.
Which countries call okra lady fingers?
There is only one slight difference between okra and lady finger. Both are names for the same plant bearing the two scientific names. “Okra” is used in the United States and the Philippines while “lady finger” is used as an English name outside those mentioned countries.