It was quite rewarding and we’ve continued to grow out and document these varieties through my work with the Utopian Seed Project. We found such a wonderful range of plant types, pod types, leaf types etc.

In 2018, I started doing large variety “grow outs”, in part to explore the diversity that exists within okra. Vine Ripe Nutrition: How many varieties of okra are out there? (or how many do you estimate) Tell us a little bit about your Okra Diversity Trial.Ĭhris: So far I have grown around 125 varieties of okra, but this is a small drop in the ocean when you look at genebanks like the USDA and the Indian and Nigerian seed banks, which list thousands of varieties. The okra that arrived in the Americas had originated from the west coast of Africa during the slave trade, where it had been grown for a long time. There is good evidence to suggest that okra’s ancestors were Indian/Asiatic in origin. Vine Ripe Nutrition: Tell us a little more about the origins of okra.Ĭhris: I go into greater depth in the first chapter of my book, but in short okra was likely domesticated in the Ethiopian region of east Africa.

Indian spices sounds fantastic to cook with okra! That was certainly the start of this love story! I felt the weight of the seeds’ story and planted them in Asheville when I moved up here in 2013. Linda had grown the okra from seeds she bought and since saved from a roadside farmstand in Rosman NC. A friend of my fiance, Belle named Linda Lee, gifted us a dried okra pod along with a wonderful box of indian spices, as a bridal shower gift. Vine Ripe Nutrition: I know you mentioned your first experiences with okra, but how did you happen to fall in love with the okra plant in your garden and decide that you wanted to write a book about it?Ĭhris: I like to say that okra found me, not the other way round. Interview with Chris About The Whole Okra It is all you wanted to know about okra but were afraid to ask or “100 Reasons that You Should Grow and Eat Okra”.Īfter having read “The Whole Okra” book, I had a chance to catch up with Chris to talk about his book and his experience growing okra as part of his research for the book. The “Whole Okra is a little bit of history, botany, gardening, cookbook and a health and nutrition book rolled into one. Chris, an expert okra enthusiast, wrote “The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration” which recently has been awarded a 2020 James Beard Award for Reference, History and Scholarship ! Congratulations Chris! Here are some of the benefits of okra for your babies.I recently had a chance to talk with Chris Smith about the amazing health benefits of okra and many other reasons why we should grow it and eat it. Other than this, okra does not pose any threat to your child as far as food allergies are concerned. This is because, the slimy nature and seeds make it difficult for your baby to chew okra. A minimum of 14-18 months of age is recommended for feeding okras to your baby. In fact, it is better to wait until your baby is old enough to chew okra without any issue. As mentioned above, okra contains a slimy substance inside it and due to the structure and texture of okra, it would be very difficult to make a smooth puree of okra that can be fed to your baby. Yes, it is safe to give okra to your baby, but there are few things that must be kept in mind with okra. This plant has particularly settled in India to an extent that it has been a part of Indian cuisine for more than a thousand years now and it is produced in most parts of India. Health Benefits of Okra or Ladies Fingerįrom its native land Africa, okra reached Asia during the ancient times due to the trade between Northern Africa and Asia. The edible part of the plant is the green seed pods. But outside the US, in English speaking countries, it is known by the name lady’s fingers.

The name okra is used mostly in the United States due to the fact that in the Caribbean countries it is called okro. Believed to be of African origin, okra is now grown mostly in tropical, sub-tropical and warm places in the world. Okra or Lady’s Finger is a popular vegetable in tropical countries. The health benefits of okra include supply of essential vitamins and minerals, supply of antioxidants, laxative properties due to the presence of dietary fiber, cure for diarrhea and dysentery and increase of blood count.

Benefits of okra