Japanese name: オクラ（秋葵） Scientific name:Abelmoschus esculentus
[Overview]
A perennial treated as an annual in Japan.
The stem is erect and produces 3–4 side branches.
It reaches about 6 m in height in the tropics, but in Japan it is about 1.5–2 m.
The leaves are alternate and palmately 3–5-lobed.
The flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils.
The flowers resemble those of hibiscus and are yellow with a wine-red base.
They open early in the morning and wither in the afternoon, so each lasts only half a day.
The fruit is a capsule shaped like a slender pyramid, and its cross-section is round to polygonal.
This shape is likened to lotus root (renkon), hence the alternative name Okarenkon.
[Uses]
The young green fruits are eaten.
The fruits are slimy and can be prepared in many ways, such as in dressed dishes, simmered dishes and fried dishes.
The slime consists of pectin and other substances, and is rich in vitamin B1.
Green-skinned fruits are common, but there are also red varieties.
There are records of its cultivation in Egypt about 2,000 years ago, and it came to Japan at the end of the Edo period.
There was also a time when the seeds were used as a coffee substitute in Europe.
[Cultivation]
Cultivation is easy, and up to 30 fruits can be harvested from one plant.
Propagate from seed.
It is resistant to pests and diseases, but care is needed with damping-off and aphids.
