What does okra taste like?

If you’ve seen okra on ingredient lists while flipping through cookbooks and recipe sites looking for something delicious for dinner, you may have wondered what this little vegetable is.

Although okra is often used as a vegetable in most recipes, it is actually, botanically speaking, a fruit. It’s the seed pod of the Abelmoschus esculentus and can be used in everything from gumbo to stir-fries to roasted vegetables and pickles.

What does okra taste like?

This little pod has a mild, slightly herbaceous flavor. You can enhance and deepen the flavor of okra by cooking it at a low temperature for a long period of time. The real magic of okra comes from its texture, which is mucilaginous and great for thickening dishes like gumbo. 

Read on to find out what okra is, what it tastes like, how to reduce its stickiness, delicious ways to prepare it, and suitable vegetable substitutes if you can’t find one for your recipe.

What is okra?

You may have heard about okra on cooking shows or seen it in recipes and wonder what exactly okra is.

Technically, what we call okra is the pod of the Abelmoschus Esculentus plant, or okra plant. In some regions, it is called lady’s fingers and gombo.

This crop grows best in warm, humid climates. It is believed to have arrived in North America several centuries ago from Ethiopia.

Since then, it has become a staple in southern cooking and can be used in many delicious preparations, which we’ll get to soon.

Although okra is used as a vegetable in cooking, like the tomato, it is also botanically a fruit. The definition of fruit is the mature ovary of the plant, which has seeds.

Okra (and other fruits) grows from a flower and matures into the long green pod of edible seeds used in cooking.

Although it is technically a fruit, in most cases okra will be used in savory preparations such as gumbo, fried, pickled or boiled as an appetizer.

There are many ways to enjoy okra that can affect its flavor and texture.

What does okra taste like?

Now that you know what okra is, you may be wondering what it tastes like. In general, it has a very mild and subtly herbaceous flavor . If you want to deepen and enhance its flavor, you can cook it over low heat for a long time.

It’s a great vehicle for other strong flavors and doesn’t tend to overwhelm other ingredients it’s paired with.

However, what really sets okra apart from other fruits and vegetables is that it has a slimy texture . As for the texture, it is like that of cacti, like nopales.

The outside of the okra has a soft peach fuzz, which most people don’t mind. It’s what’s inside the okra that can be divisive.

The viscosity of okra is amazing for thickening stews, soups, and gumbos, but on its own some people don’t like it.

There are ways to reduce the viscosity to your liking, which we’ll get into later.

But that stickiness is what makes okra so unique, and it provides beneficial soluble fiber that can be great for your digestion.

Why is okra slimy?

Okra is part of the marshmallow family of plants, many of which are known for their mucilaginous textures.

Marshmallow root tea is a great example that contains the slimy and mucilaginous fiber.  Although it may be unpleasant at first, it can be really good for your digestive tract and intestinal health. 

Okra is slimy because it has plenty of soluble fiber , which is what makes it a bit gelatinous once opened.

Chia seeds and flax seeds are other common foods that have that mucilaginous fiber texture.

For those foods you have to add water first, while in the case of okra, the viscosity becomes apparent as soon as you slice it open and start to release the liquid and water from inside the plant.

Although this fiber can be a bit surprising at first, if you get used to it, it can add real richness and depth to your dishes and help you meet your daily fiber intake.

How to reduce the thinness of okra

If you want to reduce the slimy texture of your okra, there are a few little cooking tips and tricks you can try to get it done.

It’s unlikely you’ll eliminate soluble fiber entirely, but you can certainly cut it down enough that you don’t even notice it’s there.

A couple of basic things are to let the okra come to room temperature before preparing it.

You’ll also want to rinse and pat it dry before dicing . Do not wash it until just before you are going to use it, as it can cause excessive drool if stored wet.

1. Try soaking it in vinegar

A popular trick to reduce the slimy texture of okra is to soak it in vinegar for half an hour before using it.

You will have to cut it in the shape that you are going to use in your recipe and then completely immerse it in vinegar.

After about 30 minutes, remove the okra from the vinegar, rinse it, and pat it dry. Use it as directed in the recipe.

2. Cut the okra into larger pieces

The fiber comes off the inside of the okra when you cut it. So the more surface there is to release the fiber, the less viscous the okra will be.

Try cutting it into larger pieces. You can let it sit for a few minutes and then drain the liquid from the outside before using it.

3. Let it rest in salt

Letting the okra sit in salt for a while is a trick I use with cucumbers to get the moisture out of them before using them in recipes.  Since salt attracts moisture, it can bring the liquid to the surface and allow you to rinse it off. 

Cut the okra to the size you are going to use in your recipe.

Generously cover the okra with salt and let it rest on a plate or in a bowl for about 1/2 hour. 

After 1/2 hour has passed, wipe the okra with a cloth or paper towel and remove the salt. If there is any left over, you just have to adjust the seasoning level of your final dish.

4. Poke some holes in the top of the okra

Another quick little trick is to try poking a few holes in the top of the okra with a toothpick, then squeezing out some of the fiber and liquid. 

This technique may not remove as much mucilage as others, but it may be faster.

While neither of these techniques is guaranteed to remove all of the mucilage from the okra, they can help greatly decrease the amount that ends up in your final dish.

What vegetables taste the most like okra?

If you’ve found a recipe that looks delicious, but you don’t have okra on hand, you may be wondering what you can use as a substitute. Although no other vegetable will be an exact replica, there are a few that will do in a pinch.

What you substitute for the okra will depend on how it works in your recipe.

If the recipe uses okra as a thickener, for example in a gumbo dish, you’ll need to add a vegetable and a thickening agent to reproduce both flavor and texture. 

Some vegetables that you can substitute for okra in stir-fries or in soups and stews include eggplant, zucchini and other summer squash, and green beans.

Remember that although these vegetables will give you a similar flavor, they do not have the fiber content to thicken them up.

If you can get your hands on nopal, a type of cactus, it makes an amazing substitute for okra, as it has a similar texture and a lovely slightly tart, slightly citrusy flavor.

This flavor profile can really brighten up rich, heavy dishes.

If you want to substitute okra in a gumbo or stew, where it acts as a flavoring and thickener and you can’t get nopales, then you’ll want to combine one of the following vegetables:

• zucchini and summer squash
• Eggplant
• Green beans 

With one of the following thickeners

• Gumbo filé (This is one of the traditional thickeners used in gumbo. It comes from the dried leaves of North American sassafras. The leaves are ground and used to thicken and season food. They have a unique root beer-like flavor.)
• xanthan gum 
• Tapioca flour or starch 
• Arrowroot flour or starch
• Potato flour or starch 
• a roux 
• Cornstarch

As you can see, there are several substitutes you can use to reproduce the flavor and texture of okra in a recipe.

What are some of the best okra recipes and preparations?

Okra is an incredibly versatile cooking ingredient that can be used in tons of different preparations. Although it’s best known for its use in gumbo, that’s just the beginning of what this little pod can do for you.

If you want to get creative, you can try a few different cooking methods, such as

deep fry

Fried okra is a real treat and one of the best ways to make it crunchy and delicious and reduce the slimy texture.

You can do everything from a thick batter to a light dusting of flour to add an extra crunchy texture to your okra.  But don’t be afraid to fry it as is.

Pickled

Another delicious way to prepare and preserve okra is to pickle it.

You can follow the traditional pickling method and add some delicious spices.

One mix I like starts with an apple cider vinegar base, which adds a distinct flavor that’s a little more exciting than regular white vinegar. 

I then add a few chili flakes for a kick, as well as paprika, peppercorns, sea salt, and garlic.

Find a recipe for properly pickling okra, and be creative with the spices and flavors you include.

Pickled okra can be used to garnish fancy cocktails, used as a vehicle for dips, or enjoyed as a simple crunchy snack on its own.

Sauteed/Sautéed

Okra is a great addition to stir-fries and is a great way to get that crispy texture.

Be sure to follow the tips above to reduce the viscosity of the okra if you want it to be crisp.

Conversely, you can also use okra to thicken a stir-fry sauce by chopping and using as is. Add it to your sauce as you cook it, and then add it to your stir-fry.

Roast

I love roasted vegetables and roasting okra is a delicious way to keep it crunchy.

Follow these instructions for grilling the okra:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Wash and dry the okra. You can roast the small pods whole, or if they are larger, you can cut them in half lengthwise. If you prefer a smaller bite, you can slice them.
3. Feel free to soak them in vinegar for 1/2 hour or try one of the other methods to reduce the viscosity before grilling. It’s not necessary, but it could make them a little crunchier. 
4. Mix the okra with olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a touch of flour.
5. Spread the okra in a single layer on the baking sheet. She tries to leave some space between the pieces, so they don’t end up smoking. If the pieces are touching, they may not be crispy. 
6. Put it in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. You may want to flip them halfway.
7. When they are crisp, take them out of the oven and enjoy them.

Final thoughts

As you can see, okra is a super versatile cooking ingredient that is worth learning about.

It has a mild, herbaceous flavor that you can deepen by simmering it for a long time. This small seed pod also has a distinctive, mucilaginous texture.

Although it can take some getting used to, this texture is great for thickening soups, stews, and sauces. Fiber is also great for digestion.

You can also reduce the viscosity by soaking the okra in vinegar, poking holes in the top of the pod and squeezing out the liquid, or cutting it into larger pieces and soaking in salt before using.

Do you have a favorite way to use okra? Let us know in the comments!