{{taxobox |name = Abelmoschus esculentus |image = Abelmoschus esculentus (cropped).jpg |image_caption = Okra flower bud and immature seed pod |regnum = Plantae |divisio = Magnoliophyta |classis = Magnoliopsida |unranked_ordo = Rosids |ordo = Malvales |familia = Malvaceae |genus = ''Abelmoschus'' |species = ''A. esculentus'' |binomial = ''Abelmoschus esculentus'' |binomial_authority = (L.) Moench | synonyms = ''Hibiscus esculentus'' L. | range_map = Okraoutput.png | range_map_width = | range_map_alt = Map showing worldwide okra production | range_map_caption = Worldwide okra production |}} Okra (''Abelmoschus esculentus'' Moench, pronounced , , known in many English-speaking countries as lady's fingers or gumbo) is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. Originating in Africa, the plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.

Vernacular names

The name "okra" is most often used in the United States, with a variation of the pronunciation–english Caribbean ("okro")– used primarily around the Philippines. "Okra" is of West African origin and is cognate with "" in the Igbo language spoken in Nigeria. Okra is often known as "Lady's Fingers" outside of the United States. In various Bantu languages, okra is called "kingombo" or a variant thereof, and this is the origin of its name in Portuguese ("quiabo"), Spanish ("quimbombó or guigambó"), Dutch and French, and also of the name "gumbo", used in parts of the United States and English-speaking Caribbean for either the vegetable, or a stew based on it. In India and often in the United Kingdom, it is called by its Hindi name, "bhindi" or "bhendi". In southern India, it is known as "benda Kaya" in Telugu, "bandakka" in Sinhala, vendaikkai in Tamil and "bende kaya" in Kannada. In Thailand, it is known as กระเจี๊ยบมอญ "KraJiabMawn" which is Thai for "Lady's Fingers". It is known as bamya (bamiya) in Arabic speaking countries. In South and South East Europe it is known as bamya (bamija). In Romania, it is known as "bamă". In Albania, it is known as bamje. In Israel, it is called bamia.

It is called "Molondrón" in the Dominican Republic, a Caribbean Spanish-speaking country, and "Ñajú" in Panama.

Structure and physiology

The species is an annual or perennial, growing to 2 m tall. It is related to such species as cotton, cocoa, and hibiscus. The leaves are 10–20 cm long and broad, palmately lobed with 5–7 lobes. The flowers are 4–8 cm diameter, with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base of each petal. The fruit is a capsule up to 18 cm long, containing numerous seeds.

''Abelmoschus esculentus'' is cultivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world for its fibrous fruits or pods containing round, white seeds. It is among the most heat- and drought-tolerant vegetable species in the world—but severe frost can damage the pods—and will tolerate poor soils with heavy clay and intermittent moisture.

In cultivation, the seeds are soaked overnight prior to planting to a depth of 1–2 cm. Germination occurs between six days (soaked seeds) and three weeks. Seedlings require ample water. The seed pods rapidly become fibrous and woody and must be harvested within a week of the fruit being pollinated to be edible. The fruits are harvested when immature and eaten as a vegetable.

Origin and distribution

Okra is an allopolyploid of uncertain parentage (proposed parents include ''Abelmoschus ficulneus'', ''A. tuberculatus'' and a reported "diploid" form of okra). Truly wild, as opposed to naturalised, populations, are not definitely known, and the species may be a cultigen.

The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of South Asian, Ethiopian and West African origins. Supporters of a South Asian origin point to the presence of its proposed parents in that region. Opposed to this is the lack of a word for okra in the ancient languages of India, suggesting that it arrived there in the Common Era. Supporters of a West African origin point to the greater diversity of okra in that region; however confusion between okra and ''A. caillei'' (West African okra) casts doubt on those analyses.

The Egyptians and Moors of the 12th and 13th centuries used the Arabic word for the plant bamay, suggesting that it had come from the east. The plant may have entered south west Asia across the Red Sea or the Bab-el-Mandeb strait to the Arabian Peninsula, rather than north across the Sahara, or from India. One of the earliest accounts is by a Spanish Moor who visited Egypt in 1216, who described the plant under cultivation by the locals who ate the tender, young pods with meal.

From Arabia, the plant spread around the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and eastward. The plant was introduced to the Americas by ships plying the Atlantic slave trade by 1658, when its presence was recorded in Brazil. It was further documented in Suriname in 1686.

Okra is also largely used in the rural rain forests of Papua New Guinea. It is used well with the other staple food of sweet potatoes and rice.

Okra may have been introduced to southeastern North America in the early 18th century. It was being grown as far north as Philadelphia by 1748. Thomas Jefferson noted that it was well established in Virginia by 1781. It was commonplace throughout the Southern United States by 1800 and the first mention of different cultivars was in 1806.

Culinary use

{{nutritional value| name=Okra, raw | kJ=129 | water=90.17 g | protein=2.00 g | fat = 0.10 g | carbs=7.03 g | fiber=3.2 g | sugars=1.20 g |source_usda=1| float = left | note=}} The products of the plant are mucilaginous, resulting in the characteristic "goo" or slime when the seed pods are cooked; the mucilage contains a usable form of soluble fiber. While many people enjoy okra cooked this way, others prefer to minimize sliminess; keeping the pods intact and cooking quickly help to achieve this. To avoid sliminess, okra pods are often briefly stir-fried, or cooked with acidic ingredients such as citrus, tomatoes, or vinegar. A few drops of lemon juice will usually suffice. Alternatively the pods can be sliced thinly and cooked for a long time, so that the mucilage dissolves, as in gumbo. The cooked leaves can also be used as a powerful soup thickener. The immature pods may also be pickled.

In Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Yemen, and other parts of the eastern Mediterranean, including Cyprus and Israel, okra is widely used in a thick stew made with vegetables and meat. It is one of the most popular vegetables among West Asians, North Indians and Pakistanis alike. In most of West Asia, okra is known as ''bamia'' or ''bamya''. West Asian cuisine usually uses young okra pods and they are usually cooked whole. In India, the harvesting is done at a later stage, when the pods and seeds are larger.

It is popular in India and Pakistan, where chopped pieces are stir fried with spices, pickled, salted or added to gravy-based preparations like Bhindi Ghosht or sambar. In western parts of India (Gujarat, Maharashtra), okra is often stir-fried with some sugar. Okra is also used in Kadhi. The ladies finger is used to make sambar (kodel) in Udupi cuisine.

In Malaysia, okra is commonly a part of yong tau foo cuisine. As a part of the cuisine, it is stuffed with processed fish paste (Surimi) and boiled with a selection of vegetables and tofu. It is then served in a soup with noodles.

In the Caribbean islands, okra is eaten as soup, often with fish. In Haiti, it is cooked with rice and maize, and also used as a sauce for meat. In Cuba, it is called quimbombó, along with a stew using okra as its primary ingredient.

It became a popular vegetable in Japanese cuisine toward the end of the 20th century, served with soy sauce and ''katsuobushi'', or as tempura.

Okra forms part of several regional "signature" dishes. ''Frango com quiabo'' (chicken with okra) is a Brazilian dish that is especially famous in the region of Minas Gerais. Gumbo, a hearty stew whose key ingredient is okra, is found throughout the Gulf Coast of the United States and in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Breaded, deep fried okra is eaten in the southern United States. Okra is also an ingredient expected in callaloo, a Caribbean dish and the national dish of Trinidad and Tobago. It is also a part of the national dish of Barbados coucou (turned cornmeal). Okra is also eaten in Nigeria, where draw soup is a popular dish, often eaten with garri or cassava. In Vietnam, okra is the important ingredient in the dish canh chua. Okra slices can also be added to ratatouille, combining very well with the other ingredients of this French popular dish.

Okra leaves may be cooked in a similar way to the greens of beets or dandelions. The leaves are also eaten raw in salads. Okra seeds may be roasted and ground to form a caffeinate-free substitute for coffee. When importation of coffee was disrupted by the American Civil War in 1861, the ''Austin State Gazette'' noted, "An acre of okra will produce seed enough to furnish a plantation of fifty negroes with coffee in every way equal to that imported from Rio."

Okra oil is a pressed seed oil, extracted from the seeds of the okra. The greenish-yellow edible oil has a pleasant taste and odor, and is high in unsaturated fats such as oleic acid and linoleic acid. The oil content of the seed can be quite high at about 40%. Oil yields from okra crops are also high. At 794 kg/ha, the yield was exceeded only by that of sunflower oil in one trial. Common Okra seed is reported to contain only 15% oil

Diseases affecting okra

1. Powdery Mildew 2. Leaf spots 3. Yellow vein mosaic virus

Medicinal properties

Unspecified parts of the plant reportedly possess diuretic properties.

See also

''Abelmoschus caillei'' (West African okra)

Molokhiya, also called "bush okra"

Luffa, also called "Chinese okra"

References

External links

ITIS 21770

Okra is more than okay

Category:Igbo words and phrases Category:Abelmoschus Category:Tropical agriculture Category:Medicinal plants Category:Fiber plants Category:Fruit vegetables Category:Soul food Category:Vietnamese ingredients Category:Crops originating from Africa Category:Puerto Rican ingredients

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name	Mark Lowry
background	solo_singer
birth name	Mark Alan Lowry
genre	Southern Gospel
occupation	Singer, Songwriter, Comedian, Author
years active	1980-present
website	http://www.marklowry.com/ }}

Mark Alan Lowry (born June 24, 1958) is a Christian comedian, songwriter, and singer, best known for co-writing the song “Mary, Did You Know?”. Lowry performed with the Gaither Vocal Band from 1988–2001 and, in January 2009, he re-joined the group along with other "GVB" alumni Michael English and David Phelps. Lowry has recorded twelve albums, both music and comedy.

Early life

Lowry was born in Houston, Texas to Charles, an attorney, and Beverly Lowry. He often uses anecdotes of his young life in his comedy, as well as speaking of his experience with hyperactivity and Attention Deficit Disorder in his performances. Lowry is the self-described “Poster Boy for Hyperactivity

Early career

While attending Liberty Baptist College (now known as Liberty University), Lowry joined a college evangelistic team made of Charles Hughes and David Musselman and began singing. Lowry's comedy career inadvertently began from here. There would be an elongated pause in his singing performance while he waited for the soundtrack to be changed. Lowry began to fill this pause with a monologue. Lowry soon realized that the audiences at his performances were laughing not at him but at his monologues.

In 1978, Lowry was badly injured in an car accident near Carlisle, PA, while touring with a college evangelistic team. He sustained eleven broken bones, and spent a good deal of time in physical therapy recovering from the accident.

Mary, Did You Know?

In 1984, Lowry wrote the lyrics to the song "Mary, Did You Know?. He was asked to write a script for a church Christmas play. Lowry wrote a series of questions that he would like to ask Mary, the mother of Jesus. These questions were used in between the scenes of the play. Over the next decade, Lowry tried to find the music that would complete the song. Twelve years after writing the lyrics, musician and songwriter Buddy Greene wrote the music to the song. The Christmas play script became the song.

The song has become a popular Christmas song performed by more than thirty artists including, Clay Aiken, Kenny Rogers, Wynonna Judd, Michael English, Daniel Childs, Natalie Cole, and Michael Crawford among others.

The Gaither Vocal Band

In 1988, Lowry was approached by Bill Gaither and asked to join the Gaither Vocal Band as the baritone. Lowry's career with the Gaither Vocal Band spanned thirteen years during his first stint with the group. During this time Lowry's on-stage antics became popular with audiences. As a result, Lowry became the co-host of the many concerts and shows performed by Gaither and the Vocal Band with Gaither playing the straight man to Lowry's antics.

In June 2001, Lowry resigned from the Gaither Vocal Band after performing longer with the group than any previous member except Bill Gaither himself. After that, Lowry released several solo albums, including ''I Love to Tell the Story, A Hymns Collection''.

On January 14, 2009, it was announced that Lowry would be returning to the Gaither Vocal Band.

Videos

Lowry's first video was ''Mark Lowry: My First Comedy Video'' made in 1988. Next, he made ''Mark Lowry: The Last Word'' in 1992 at the Tivoli Theatre in Chattanooga, TN. Next, he taped ''Mark Lowry: Mouth in Motion'' in 1993 at Carpenter's Home Church in Lakeland, Florida. The album won a Dove Award for Long Form Music Video of the Year at the 25th GMA Dove Awards in 1994. Then, after that, he made ''Mark Lowry: Remotely Controlled'' in 1995. ''Mark Lowry On Broadway'' was performed and captured to DVD at the Beacon Theatre in NYC in 2000, and ''Mark Lowry Goes to Hollywood'' was performed and captured to DVD at the Cerritos Center in Cerritos, CA, in January 2005.

Current projects

Lowry continues to tour the United States performing his music and comedy concerts as well as recording music and comedy CD albums and videos. In addition, Lowry records and publishes several iPod podcasts; in particular, ''Saturdays with Mark and Tony'', a weekly podcast with Tony Campolo. Lowry is also co-hosting "Bill Gaither's Homecoming Radio" with Bill Gaither and Phil Brower. Starting in MArch 2011, he has been a frequent co-host of the TV show "Red Letter Christians" with Tony Campolo.

Family

Lowry is single and has no children. He has two siblings - an older brother Mike of Lynchburg, Virginia and a younger sister, Melissa also of Lynchburg. He refers to his siblings as "perfect" at different times ("my older brother Mike, who is perfect... Melissa came along and she was perfect, too...") He also has three nieces and two nephews.

References

External links

The "ReMARKable" Site - MarkLowry.com, Lowry's official website

Gaither.com - home of Gaither records and the Gaither Vocal Band

Category:American comedy musicians Category:American baritones Category:Southern Gospel performers Category:Baptist ministers from the United States Category:People from Houston, Texas Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:American Christians Category:Liberty University alumni Category:Baptists from the United States

pt:Mark Lowry