The Old Oakland Farmers’ Market had a lot of greens piled up on one table. I looked around and saw a kind of greens I had never seen before. I asked the farmer what it was, and she told me “okra leaves. ”.
(Update: commenter beautdogs correctly points out that the plant in the photo is not okra. I think there was a translation problem or some misplaced nicknaming. It turns out that these plants are actually jute, (Colichortus olitorius). I explained more about this in a post in 2010. ).
The African plant Abelmoschus esculentus, or maybe Hibiscus esculentus, is the source of okra. It was brought to the Americas by slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries. Therefore, it is not surprising that the word okra comes from a West African language (Akan). Interestingly, in an Angolan language, the vegetable is called “gumbo,” a word that is associated in the U. S. with a rich, spicy stew cooked in the American South (especially Louisiana).
While there are a lot of recipes and facts about okra as a vegetable, not much is known about the leaves. Elizabeth Schneider’s book Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini has a lot of information about okra, including about ten recipes. However, the book never says anything about eating the leaves. A side note from The Oxford Companion to Food says that okra is the only plant in the mallow family (Malvaceae) whose pods are eaten as a vegetable. The mallow family, it turns out, are “sometimes eaten as pot-herbs. ”.
A web search came up with just a few mentions. One was a recipe from Australia for okra greens and corn (update, 10/8/2016: website is shuttered). Another funny story from The Serendipitous Chef was about adding okra leaves to an eggplant-chickpea stew to make it taste better. And, as it turned out, quite a lot of thickening power: “First to goo. Then to glue. The okra leaves -– in my opinion -– have a stronger thickening effect than the okra pods. ”.
I stripped the leaves from the stems, and noticed a little bit of slime. I wasn’t sure what would happen when I cooked the greens after reading about The Serendipitous Chef’s gooey experience. After washing the greens, I drained them. Over high heat, I put some oil in a large skillet and added some minced garlic and a chopped dry red chili. I let it sizzle for about 30 seconds and then added the washed and drained leaves. With tongs, I turned the leaves for about a minute. Then I lowered the heat to medium and put a lid on the pan to let them cook through.
The greens were delicious and tender, and I didn’t notice any slime–perhaps the slime is in the stems. They had a nice flavor, with a subtle hint of okra. The leaves were tender without any of the stringiness that other greens have. If I see them again, I will probably buy a bunch or two.
Okra is known for its edible green seed pods that lend a mucilaginous texture to stews and soups. But several other plants can be mistaken for okra due to their similar appearance. Here are 7 plants that may look like okra but aren’t:
1. Castor Bean
The castor bean plant (Ricinus communis) produces seeds that are processed to make castor oil. Its large tropical-looking leaves can resemble okra, especially when young. However, castor bean leaves have deeper lobes and red or purple tints. The flowers are also very different with the castor bean producing greenish-red blooms on spikes. All parts of the castor bean plant are toxic to humans and animals.
2. Cotton
Cotton plants (Gossypium spp.) are grown commercially for their fluffy, white fibers surrounding the seeds. Young cotton seedlings may resemble okra for their lobed leaves, but mature cotton leaves are much more deeply lobed, with 3-5 lobes per leaf. The flowers are typically white, pink, or yellow with a darker center spot. The cotton bolls containing the fibers look nothing like okra pods.
3. Ornamental Hibiscus
Many ornamental hibiscus cultivars like the tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) have large, rounded leaves that look a bit like immature okra leaves. However, hibiscus leaves generally have a more prominently toothed margin. The flowers are also dramatically different, with hibiscus producing huge, flashy blooms in shades of red, pink, yellow, white, and orange.
4. Kenaf
Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) is grown commercially for its fiber, which is used to make paper textiles, and rope. Its leaves closely resemble those of okra, especially when young but mature kenaf leaves usually have 3-7 lobes. Kenaf plants can grow over 12 feet tall, much larger than okra. The flowers are yellow with a dark center.
5. Mallows
Common mallows (Malva neglecta) and other mallow species are weedy plants often found growing in gardens and disturbed sites. Their rounded, lobed leaves look very similar to okra leaves. However, mallows produce small 5-petaled pink or white flowers, while okra has larger yellow hibiscus-like blooms. Mallow seed pods are disc-shaped, not elongated like okra.
6. Hollyhocks
Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are old-fashioned garden flowers grown for their tall spires of wide, colorful blooms. The rounded leaves are coarsely toothed and look somewhat like okra foliage, especially when young. However, mature hollyhock leaves are much larger. The plant’s height (often over 6 feet tall) and flowers make it easy to distinguish from okra.
7. Luffa Gourd
Luffa gourds (Luffa aegyptiaca) produce the “luffa sponges” used as bathing tools. Its foliage strongly resembles that of okra, with lobed leaves of similar shape and size. However, the vines and climbing growth habit of luffa gourd differ from okra. The flowers are yellow, not white like okra. The elongated fruits that contain the luffa fibers are the definitive distinguishing feature.
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FAQ
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