Okra soup

Indonesian sayur oyong (okra soup) in clear light broth

Okra or Okro soup is primarily associated with the Igbo tribe of Nigeria and is prepared using the edible green seed pods of the okra flowering plant as a primary ingredient. Other vegetables can be added to the soup as well, such as ewedu, kerenkere, or Ugu leaf. Depending on the specific variant being prepared, okra soup can have a clear broth or be deep green in colour, much like the okra plant itself. Okra (and, by extension, okra soup) can have a slippery or "slimy" mouthfeel. The edible green seed pods can also be used in other stews and soups, such as the American dish gumbo.^[1]

Africa

In Nigeria, okra soup is a delicacy and is popular amongst Igbos, Yorubas, Efiks, Hausas, and other Nigerian ethnic groups.^[2] In Yoruba, it is referred to as obe lla .^[3][4][5][6]

China

Chinese okra soup is a "country style dish often served at family meals".^[7] Chinese okra differs significantly from the varieties of okra commonly available in the West.

Indonesia

In Indonesian cuisine, okra soup is called sayur oyong. It is usually served in clear chicken broth with rice vermicelli (bihun) or mung bean vermicelli (sohun), with slices of bakso (ground beef surimi).

Japan

In Japanese cuisine, okra and nagaimo are usually used as an addition or variation to miso soup.

United States

In the United States, the first recipe for okra soup was published in 1824 in the book The Virginia Housewife.^[8][9] After this initial publication, okra soup was commonly included in American cookbooks.^[8] In the late 1800s, okra soup recipes were commonly published in The New York Times.^[10] American okra soup can be prepared using canned, frozen, or fresh okra.^[11] It is a traditional soup in Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina.^[12]

Gallery

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  okra - Soup
• 
  Miso soup with okra and nagaimo
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  Okro Soup
• 
  Nigerian okra soup

See also

• Gumbo
• List of soups
• List of vegetable soups

References

1. Walker, S.S. (2001). African Roots/American Cultures: Africa in the Creation of the Americas. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 64. ISBN 978-0-7425-0165-2.
2. Ukegbu, Kavachi Michelle (2021). The art of fufu : a guide to the culture and flavors of a West African tradition. Grubido. Austin, Texas. ISBN 978-1-62634-596-6. OCLC 1241244901.
3. Badiru, I.; Badiru, D. (2013). Isi Cookbook: Collection of Easy Nigerian Recipes. iUniverse. ISBN 978-1-4759-7671-7.
4. Onyeakagbu, Adaobi (2021-12-22). "How to cook the Igbo-Ora recipe, Ilasa soup". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
5. "Enjoy your amala with ilasa soup". Tribune Online. 2018-06-02. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
6. "Foods, herbs to manage female infertility". Punch Newspapers. 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
7. Aksomboon, K.; Aksomboon, S.; Hiranaga, D.; (Restaurant), Siam Cuisine (1989). Thai Cooking from the Siam Cuisine Restaurant. North Atlantic Books. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-55643-074-9.
8. Smith, A.F. (2013). Food and Drink in American History: A "Full Course" Encyclopedia [3 Volumes]: A "Full Course" Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 424. ISBN 978-1-61069-233-5.
9. Smith, A.F. (2007). The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink. Oxford Companions. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 551. ISBN 978-0-19-530796-2.
10. Hesser, A. (2010). The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Century. W. W. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-24767-1.
11. The Picayune Creole Cook Book. Times-Picayune publishing Company. 1922. p. 18.
12. Deen, P.; Clark, M. (2011). Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible: The New Classic Guide to Delicious Dishes with More Than 300 Recipes. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-6407-2.

Further reading

• Good Housekeeping. 1889. p. 183. – Poor-Man's Okra Soup
• Fowler, D.L.; Carrington, J.R. (2008). The Savannah Cookbook. Gibbs Smith, Publisher. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-4236-0224-8.
• Nzeadibe, R.E. (2009). The 2nd Migration. Xlibris Corporation. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-4653-2783-3.^{[self-published source]}

External links

• Video: Nigerian Okra Soup
• Video: Nigerian Okra Soup with Fresh Fish & Assorted Meat
• Easy Nigerian Okra Soup Recipe