The South’s Favorite Vegetable Explained

Outside of the South, many would struggle to tell you what the fuzzy pod shaped vegetable was, let alone how to eat it. In this corner of the United States, okra is a delicacy and favorite on dinner tables for many, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

Though the origins of okra are unknown, geobotanists believe it originated in present- day Ethiopia and Sudan. The Egyptians cultivated the crop as far back as the 7th century. Okra consumption spread across North Africa and the Mediterranean before traveling to India after the beginning of the Christian Era. The pod like vegetable was introduced to the South by West African slaves in the early 1700’s.

While records indicate that okra was grown as far north as upper Pennsylvania by the mid- 1700’s and Virginia by the later 1700’s, it’s cultivation and use were not widely known. A relative of cotton and hibiscus, okra thrives in warm weather, grows very quickly and must be harvested before the pods become old and tough. In the warm Southern climate, they can become unusable less than a week after developing from a pollinated flower and should be harvested at 3 to 5 days old.

In the South, we typically see okra fried, but which region you are in often dictates how it is consumed. In the low country, you find okra and rice, pickled okra in the Middle South and in gumbo in Louisiana.  However, in other countries, the ripe seeds can be used to produce a cooking oil and can be roasted and ground for a coffee substitute. Mature okra can even be used to make rope and paper.

At 1885 Grill, we have a favorite method for eating this Southern grown delicacy. We slice the okra longways and lightly bread it in cornmeal deep fry it for a golden delicious crunch and serve it alongside our infamous pimento cheese. While we can’t say that fried okra and pimento cheese is the most iconic dish, it does represent everything we love about the South- tradition, comfort, history, community… and really good food!