Okra: nutrition and how to use it

Fun facts

• In English okra is also called "lady's finger" for its long slim shape. The plant has its roots in Africa and traveled the world with traders.
• The slime you see when you cut okra is a kind of soluble fiber called mucilage. It is what naturally thickens a pot of soup.
• 100g of okra has about 3.2g of fiber and 82mg of calcium, quite high compared to most vegetables.
• All of it for about 33 kcal. It also brings 23mg of vitamin C and 299mg of potassium.

Choosing and storing

Choose young pods about the length of a finger, bright green, with tips that snap cleanly. Big, hard pods with woody skin are older and stringy to chew. Keep them whole and dry in a paper bag in the crisper drawer and use within 2 to 3 days. Do not wash them before storing, since moisture makes them slimy and dark faster.

Cooking it well

To cut the slime, wash and dry the pods before slicing, boil them whole, or stir fry and roast them quickly over high heat. A little sourness, like tamarind or tomato in Vietnamese canh chua, also tames the slime. Boil for just 3 to 4 minutes and the pods are cooked yet still green and crisp, great with fermented tofu dip. Since the slime is soluble fiber, you may enjoy our piece on soluble vs insoluble fiber.

Frequently asked questions