Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)

Common Names
Okra, lady’s finger (En); gombo, gumbo (French); quingombó, guingombó (Spanish); 黃秋葵 (Chinese)

Plant Distribution
Southeast and South Asia, tropical Africa, Brazil

Edible Parts
Young fruit is often boiled as ingredient in soups and sauces, consumed blanched, sautéed, stir-fried, raw or pickled, or stuffed with other ingredients; young leaves sometimes eaten cooked.

Health Values
Beta-carotene: low in fruit and leaves; vitamin E: low in fruit; riboflavin: low in fruit, extremely high in leaves; folic acid: high in fruit; ascorbic acid: medium in fruit, extremely high in leaves; calcium: low in fruit, extremely high in leaves; iron: low in fruit and leaves; protein: 2.1% in fruit, 4.4% in leaves. Young fruit and leaves are rich in mucilage, and young fruit has high antioxidative activities.

Read more: Okra, in Discovering Indigenous Treasures: Promising Indigenous Vegetables from Around the World. 2009. AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center.