Although okra is actually a summer vegetable, the plant that gives it its place on our tables in every season, whether fresh, canned, dried or frozen, is from the Malvaceae family.
Although some sources state that its homeland is America and Asia, it is known that okra was known and grown in Africa, in what is now Ethiopia and Sudan, for many years and even before the discovery of the American continent. Okra is an annual in temperate climates and a perennial cultivated plant in tropical and subtropical climates.
Annual okra grows to 60-90 cm. while perennials grow to 1.5-2 m and become small trees. The leaves of okra, which resemble cotton in its early stages of development, also resemble cotton. The leaves, branches and fruits of the plant are quite densely hairy. The glands at the base of these hairs contain an irritating substance. The very showy flowers of okra are sulfur yellow.
Okra is a self-pollinating hermaphroditic flower, and the fruits that ripen are of different sizes, pyramidal or round-shaped, with stripes forming corners on them, depending on the variety of okra. Inside the fruit are round or slightly flattened seeds of very dark green color, the size of a fig. Okra, which has superior varieties specific to our country, is made as a hot dish with minced meat, as well as asides and olive oil dishes.
NUTRITIONAL VALUES
The nutritional values of okra as a 100 gr. fresh vegetable are as follows: 30 calories; 2.2 gr. protein; 8.7 gr. carbohydrates; 0 cholesterol; 0.2 fat; 1 gr. fiber- 5 mg. phosphorus; 17 mg. calcium; 0.1 mg. iron; 20 mg. sodium; 18 mg. potassium; 5 mg. magnesium; 60 IU vitamin A; 0.02 mg. vitamin B1; 0.02 mg. vitamin B2 and 5 mg. vitamin C. It is not known whether okra contains other minerals and vitamins.
BENEFITS TO OUR HEALTH
In addition to the nutritional values listed above;
Because it is easy to digest, okra is recommended for the sick, the elderly and those who have to eat diet food.
Because of its high fiber content, okra is good for people suffering from constipation.
Drinking the liquid obtained by mixing okra flowers with water and crushing them softens the chest.
The same liquid is applied externally to boils and causes them to ripen.
