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Okra

Abelmoschus esculentus
Hong Kong Okra Aug 25 2012.JPG
Okra plant, with mature, and developing fruits in Hong Kong
Ladies' Finger BNC.jpg
Okra in longitudinal section
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Abelmoschus
Species: A. esculentus
Binomial name
Abelmoschus esculentus
(L.) Moench
Map showing worldwide okra production
Worldwide okra production
Synonyms
  • Abelmoschus bammia Webb
  • Abelmoschus longifolius (Willd.) Kostel.
  • Abelmoschus officinalis (DC.) Endl.
  • Abelmoschus praecox Sickenb.
  • Abelmoschus tuberculatus Pal & Singh
  • Hibiscus esculentus L.
  • Hibiscus hispidissimus A.Chev. nom. illeg.
  • Hibiscus longifolius Willd.
  • Hibiscus praecox Forssk.
Okra, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 138 kJ (33 kcal)
7.45 g
Sugars 1.48 g
Dietary fiber 3.2 g
0.19 g
1.9 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A equiv.
(5%)
36 μg
Thiamine (B1)
(17%)
0.2 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
(5%)
0.06 mg
Niacin (B3)
(7%)
1 mg
Folate (B9)
(15%)
60 μg
Vitamin C
(28%)
23 mg
Vitamin E
(2%)
0.27 mg
Vitamin K
(30%)
31.3 μg
Minerals
Calcium
(8%)
82 mg
Iron
(5%)
0.62 mg
Magnesium
(16%)
57 mg
Phosphorus
(9%)
61 mg
Potassium
(6%)
299 mg
Zinc
(6%)
0.58 mg
Other constituents
Water 89.6 g

Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.

Okra or okro (US /ˈkrə/ or UK /ˈɒkrə/), known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers, ochro or gumbo, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of West African, Ethiopian, and South Asian origins. The plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.

The name okra is most often used in the UK, United States and the Philippines, with a variant pronunciation in Caribbean English and Nigeria of okro. The word okra is from the Igbo ọ́kụ̀rụ̀. The plant and its seed pods are also known as "lady's fingers". In various Bantu languages, okra is called (ki)ngombo or a variant, and this is possibly the origin of the name "gumbo", used in parts of the United States and the English-speaking Caribbean (via Spanish/Portuguese "quingombo").

Okra is an allopolyploid of uncertain parentage (proposed parents include Abelmoschus ficulneus, A. tuberculatus and a reported "diploid" form of okra). Truly wild (as opposed to naturalised) populations are not known with certainty and the species may be a cultigen.


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Wikipedia

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