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Okra,
Roselle, Aibika, & Kenaf (Other Edible Hibiscus)
(Excerpts
from "Okra, Roselle, Aibika and Kenaf From Seed To Supper")
Okra,
[OH-kruh] Hibiscus esculentus L. (syn. Abelmoschus esculentus)
is of the Malvaceae or mallow family along with cotton, hollyhock,
rose of Sharon and hibiscus. It is know by many names (AKA): Lady
Fingers, Gombo, Okro, Ochro, Okoro, Quimgombo, bhindi, bindi,
bamia bamiya, bamieh. (Chinese okra is a different food, luffa
acutangula.)
A
tall-growing, warm-season, annual vegetable, okra has large, attractive,
hibiscus like yellow flowers; heart-shaped, lobed leaves with
long stems attached to a thick woody stem. The fruit, a long generally
ribbed fuzzy pod developing in the leaf axil, grows rapidly after
flowering. The edible part is the fruit pod which varies in color
from yellow to red to green.
The
upright plant averages between 3- and 6-feet or more with varieties
for both temperate and tropical areas. Indigenous African varieties
can grow to 12 feet tall, with a base stem 4 inches in diameter.
It’s lobed leaves are generally hairy and may reach 11 inches
in length. Okra is often grown as a perennial in many tropical
areas. Cultivars vary in plant height, shape and color of the
pod. Most cultivars are adapted to high temperatures and a wide
range of soil types. Average temperatures of 68-80 º F are
best for growth, flowering and pod development. Okra is tolerant
to wide variation in rainfall. Some of the more common vatities
are:
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Green
types
Annie
Oakley - hybrid, spineless - bright green, angular pods
- 53 to 55 days - cooler areas.
Blondy - 48-50 days, dwarf plant 3' high, spineless,
ribbed, lime-green.
Clemson Spineless - uniform spineless - medium dark
green, angular pods 5-6" long, large diameter, - 4 to 5
feet - 55 to 58 - very productive - most commonly available
variety.
Dwarf Green Long Pod - 2 1/2 foot- days - container
Emerald - 58 to 60 days - spineless - dark green,
smooth, round pods 5' tall, pods to 8" long, small diameter.
Lee - spineless - deep bright green, very straight
angular pods - semi-dwarf - days.
Perkins Mammoth Long Pod, 60 days, plants 6 to 10'
tall, pods 7-8" long, intense green.
Prelude (PVP) - open pol-linated - spineless - very
dark glossy green fluted pods - can be harvested when pods
are longer and still remain tender - 3-4' tall - 50 to 55
days.
KBe1 - The fruit is more than 15cm long, has five
sections, and is green to yellowish in colour. Each plant
yields 180-200g, that is about 14-105 fruits.
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Red
types
Burgundy
- red pods - 4 foot - 60 days - good quality when mature
Red River- -red pods - large container - days
Red Okra - 55 to 65 days - 3 to 4' tall - bushy plants
with 6 to 7" pods.
Red Velvet - similar to Red Okra.
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Roselle
(Hibiscus sabdariffa) also known as Sour-Sour, Red Sorell, Jamaican
Sorell, Indian sorrel, Guinea sorrel, Queensland jelly plant,
jelly okra, lemon bush, and Florida cranberry; oseille rouge,
or oseille de Guinée (French); quimbombó chino,
sereni, rosa de Jamaica, flor de Jamaica, Jamaica, agria, agrio
de Guinea, quetmia ácida, viña and viñuela
(Spanish): vinagreira, azeda de Guiné, cururú azédo,
and quiabeiro azédo (Portuguese); zuring (Dutch - Surinam):
bisap (Senegal); and as karkadé or carcadé (North
Africa, Near East and in the European pharmaceutical and food-flavoring
trades). The names 'flor de Jamaica' and 'hibiscus flores' are
misleading because the calyces are sold, not the flowers.
Roselle is a 5
to 7 foot high annual, with lobed leaves and yellow or buff (turning
pink at end of day) blossoms with dark centers. Thick red flower
calyces and protein rich leaves are the edible parts. Some of
the more common varieties are:
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Rico - relatively low-growing, spreading - simple
and lobed leaves mostly 3-parted - yellow to buff flower
- dark-red eye - golden-yellow pollen - mature calyx
to 2 inches (5 cm) long and to 11/4 inches (3.2 cm)
wide; bracts plump and stiffly horizontal - highest
yields - juice and preserves of calyx and herbage rich-red.
Victor - more erect and robust plant to 7 foot
(2.13 m) - yellow to buff flower - dark-red eye - golden-brown
pollen - early blooming - mature calyces to 2 inches
(5 cm) long slender and somewhat pointed apex - bracts
long, slender and curved upward - juice rich-red.
Archer - more erect and robust plant to 7 foot
(2.13 m) - yellow flower - deeper yellow eye - pale-brown
pollen - early blooming - mature calyces to 11/2 inches
long - high yield - juice nearly colorless to amber.
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Aibika
Hibiscus (Abelmoschus) manihot, Aibika also known as, Bele (Fiji)
Pele (Polynesia) and Ailan kapis (Vanuatu)
A perennial in
the tropics or an annual in cooler climates Aibika bears edible
leaves on plants reaching 6 feet in height. Pale yellow flowers
6 inches across with dark centers make Aibika another attractive
background plant. The leaves have a high level of leaf protein,
iron, potassium, magnesium and calcium. They are eaten raw as
salad, or mixed with other vegetable in a stew or as a cooked
green vegetable. Aibika should not be cooked longer than 5 minutes
and turned only once. The flavor is sweet and mucilaginous. Flower
buds are consumed either raw or cooked.
Give aibika a sunny
location and moist soil, and it will be happy. As summer heats
up, aibika will flourish.
Kenaf
Hibiscus (Abelmoschus) cannabinus, Kenaf, is usually cultivated
for its fiber. In the home garden, it makes an attractive backgound
plant. The young leaves have an acid flavor like sorrel and are
cooked as a potherb or added to soups. Leaves are of two types;
one deeply divided resembling hemp/marijuana and the other undivided
resembling cotton. The seeds are roasted as a coffee substitute
or ground into a flour and made into a kind of cake.
Quick growing Kenaf
reaches 12 - 14 feet in height in 4 or 5 months and yields 6 -
10 tons of dry fiber per acre. The fiber comes from the stalk
in two different forms, the outer "bast" long fibers and the inner
"core" short woody fibers which are used individually or in combination
to manufacture products like paper, woven fabrics or industrial
absorbents.
Kanaf grows in
most soil types with adequate irrigation. Plant seeds at 4 inch
intervals for the average garden, 3 inch intervals for fiber production
and 2 inch intervals for seed production. Kenaf will be happy
no matter what you do as long as it is free of frost.
Selected
Okra,
Roselle, Aibika, & Kenaf
Recipes
(Excerpts
from "Okra, Roselle, Aibika and Kenaf From Seed To Supper")
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| Sprinkling
okra with salt or soaking okra in salted cold water draws
out the juices (or muciledge, the dietary fiber). The result
is a light and crisp dish, but, without the nutritional benefit
of dietary fiber. |
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Cut
off the ends and slice the rest into rounds. Put sliced
okra in a bowl, sprinkle with salt (liberally), and cover
with very cold water. Refrigerate an hour or so. In a small
paper sack, mix
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1/2
cup cornmeal with
salt and pepper, to taste. |
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Put
the okra inside the bag, close the top, and shake until the
okra is totally coated with the cornmeal. In an iron skillet,
heat 1/2 inch of |
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| oil,
bacon grease, lard, or a mixture thereof |
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Put
the okra inside the bag, close the top, and shake until the
okra is totally coated with the cornmeal. |
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Add
okra and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and
crisp, about 6 minutes. |
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JAMAICAN
SORREL RUM PUNCH
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In
a heat-proof bowl, combine |
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12
ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) dried sorrel calyxes
2 1-inch cubes of peeled fresh ginger, chopped fine and
3 whole cloves |
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| 5
cups (of 5 3/4 cups total) water |
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to
a boil, pour it over the sorrel mixture, and let the mixture
steep for 4 hours or overnight. While the mixture is steeping,
in a small saucepan bring the remaining 3/4 cup water and |
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to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and let
the syrup cool. Strain the sorrel liquid into a pitcher,
discarding the solids, stir in the sugar syrup
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11/2
cups amber rum and
2 cups ice cubes, or to taste |
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| In
southern and my cooking, okra with tomatoes is a favorite.
Adding 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil to this and the following
3 recipes makes a nice, but, not necessary change of flavor. |
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In
a sauté pan or heavy non-reactive skillet, heat |
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| 1
tablespoon vegetable oil or bacon grease. |
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3
to 4 minutes or until soft. Wash and trim |
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Cut
crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Add to onions and sauté
another 5 to 6 minutes or until okra begins to brown. Stir
in |
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3
large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped or
1 pound can chopped tomatoes with
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper, to taste.
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cover
and simmer 20 to 30 minutes or until thickened. |
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FIJI SALAD -
BELE LEAVES AND SMOKED FISH
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6
or 8 bele leaves in
boiling salted water |
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for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl,
combine
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1/4 cup coconut creme with
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste. |
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In a salad bowl, toss cooked bele
leaves with prepared coconut creme dressing and top with |
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several half slices red onions
and
several shreds of smoked fish |
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Okra,
Roselle, Aibika, & Kenaf (Other Edible Hibiscus) Contents
(from
"Okra, Roselle, Aibika and Kenaf From Seed To Supper")
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Soil
Preparation
Planting
Irrigation
Care
Harvest
Storage
Pests And Diseases
Seed
Cooler Climates |
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Nutritional
Breakdown
Cooking Methods |
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Prepare
Okra
Baked
Boiled
Braised
Deep Fried
Fried
Grilled
Steamed
Stir-fry |
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Fried
Okra Poppers
Fried Okra Fingers |
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Okra
Salad
Fried Okra And Potato Salad
Piquant Okra Salad |
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Okra
Soup
Shaker Okra Soup
Onion Soup With Okra Parmesan Bread |
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Fried
Okra
Southern Fried Okra
Cajun Fried Okra
Deep Fried Okra
Stir-fry Okra
Okra Tempura
Okra Fritters
Okra And Tomatoes
Okra Tomatoes And Corn
Okra, Tomatoes And Bell Peppers
Okra Succotash
Okra In Tomato Sauce
Stewed Okra With Small Onions
Baby Okra In Tomato Sauce
Okra, Tomatoes And Corn Broil
Scalloped Okra And Corn
Cajun Style Corn And Tomato W/Fried Okra
Smothered Okra, Eggplant And Tomato
Okra Au Gratin
Dilled Okra |
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Limpin’
Susie
Bamies
New Orleans Vegetable Stew
Okra Curry
Curry Spices
Okra And Beef Curry |
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Gumbo
Intro
Gumbo
Roux
Gumbo (Shrimp Broth Base)
Seafood And Sausage Gumbo
Gumbo File #1
Cajun-Style White Rice
Chicken Gumbo (Chicken Broth Base)
Chicken, Sausage And Okra Gumbo
Duck And Sausage Gumbo
Spicy Gumbo-laya
Chicken File Gumbo
Bamia (Beef And Okra Casserole)
Lamb Stew With Okra And Green Pepper
Lamb Stew With Okra And Fruit
Okra And Shrimp
Brown And White Rice |
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Spicy
Pickled Okra
Pickled Dill Okra
Mustard Okra Pickles
Okra And Onion Pickle
Japanese Okra Onion Pickle (Sokra Shoyu-zuke) |
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Freezing
Dehydrating
Okra Oil
Okra Coffee
Other Family Members |
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Hibiscus
Sabdiffa - Rossel
Cultiation
Harvest
Pests And Diseases
Nutritional Breakdown
Uses
Flowers And Buds
Roselle Fruit (Calyces)
Leaves
Medicinal Uses
Roselle Drinks
Hibiscus Tea
Jamaican Sorrel Rum Punch
Australian Native Hibiscus Preserves
Roselle Sauce |
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Hibiscus
Cannabinus - Kenaf
Hibiscus Manihot - Aibika (Edible Hibiscus) |
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Aibika
Greens
Aibika Greens With Sesame Seeds
Fiji Salad - Bele Leaves And Smoked Fish |
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Roselle, Aibika & Kanaf From Seed To Supper
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Roselle, Aibika & Kanaf From Seed To Supper
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