Okra originated in Africa and is now a social media star in China's vegetable world

On July 8, 2017, in a vegetable plot by the shore of Dongpu Reservoir in Hefei, a patch of okra had already bloomed and set fruit. This time we regrettably did not manage to photograph the flowers in full bloom; previously we posted hollyhock flowers, and okra flowers look almost identical to single-petaled hollyhock flowers, except that their color is only a single yellow, so it is also called yellow okra.

A half-open okra flower bud.

An okra plant. The ones we saw this time were less than 1 m tall; we have previously seen ones taller than we are.

The fruit of okra. Green fruits, each one firm and pointing upward. Some people say it can boost virility. Is that true?

The fruit of okra. Actually, okra fruits can also be red; it may be a different variety, but the ones usually seen are green.

The fruit of okra.

The fruit of okra. Okra is now a "social media star" among vegetables and a representative nutritious health vegetable. The young seed pods of okra that we eat contain a mucilaginous substance as well as arabinan, galactan, rhamnan, protein, calcium oxalate and more. Regular consumption helps with digestion, boosts physical strength, protects the liver, and benefits the stomach and intestines.

At noon on July 9, 2017, I got together with friends who frequently travel to Africa. When ordering, I ordered a cold okra dish, and both its color and taste were quite good. A friend told me that okra is grown in great abundance in Africa and that Africa is its place of origin. I learned something and gained some knowledge.