How to make delicious and simple okra

Okra is a common vegetable in our lives. Okra has a relatively high nutritional value and is known as the king of vegetables. At the same time, okra also has certain medicinal value and has the effects of moisturizing the intestines, relieving constipation, clearing away heat and detoxifying. The common ways to eat okra are to mix it with cold dishes, stir-fry it, or wrap it with meat. It is delicious and easy to make, which is why many people love it. Especially in summer, you can see many people eating okra. So what other ways are there to cook okra?

Morphological characteristics

Annual herb, 1-2 meters high; cylindrical stem

Coffee Sunflower

Shape: sparsely scattered thorns. The leaves are palmately 3-7-lobed, 10-30 cm in diameter, with broad to narrow lobes, coarsely serrated and notched margins, and sparsely hairy on both sides; the petiole is 7-15 cm long and long hairy; the stipules are linear, 7-10 mm long and sparsely hairy.

The flowers are solitary in the leaf axils, with pedicels 1-2 cm long and sparsely covered with rough, stiff hairs; the bracts are 8-10, linear, about 1.5 cm long, and sparsely covered with stiff hairs; the calyx is bell-shaped, longer than the bracts, and densely covered with stellate short hairs; the flowers are yellow, purple at the base inside, 5-7 cm in diameter, and the petals are obovate, 4-5 cm long.

The capsule is cylindrical and spire-shaped, 10-25 cm long, 1-5-2 cm in diameter, with a long beak at the top and sparsely covered with rough and stiff hairs; the seeds are spherical, numerous, 4-5 mm in diameter, and have hairy veins. Flowering period is from May to September. [1]

Distribution

It was introduced for cultivation in Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan, Hubei, Yunnan and Guangdong provinces in China. Native to India. Due to its short growth cycle and resistance to dryness and heat, it has been widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. The cultivation area in China's Hunan, Hubei and other provinces is also very large. [1]

Growth habit

temperature

Coffee sunflower likes warmth, is afraid of severe cold, and has strong heat resistance. When the air temperature is 13℃ and the ground temperature is around 15℃, the seeds will germinate. However, the suitable temperature for seed germination and growth period is 25-30℃. If the monthly average temperature is lower than 17℃, it will affect flowering and fruiting; if the night temperature is lower than 14℃, the growth will be slow, the plants will be short, the leaves will be narrow, there will be fewer flowers, and many flowers will fall. The suitable temperature of 26-28℃ results in more flowers, higher fruit set rate and faster fruit development. [2]

Moisture

Coffee sunflower is drought-resistant and moisture-resistant, but not waterlogged. Excessive soil moisture during the germination period can easily induce seedling blight. If the fruiting period is dry, the plants will grow poorly and the quality will be poor. The soil should always be kept moist.

illumination

Coffee sunflower is particularly sensitive to light conditions and requires long and sufficient light exposure. You should choose a sunny plot, strengthen ventilation and air permeability, and pay attention to reasonable planting density to avoid shading each other and affecting ventilation and light transmission.

soil

Coffee sunflower has a wide adaptability to soil and is not picky about soil fertility, but deep, loose, fertile, well-drained loam or sandy loam is more suitable. Fertilizers are mainly nitrogen in the early stages of growth, while more phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are needed in the middle and late stages. However, if there is too much nitrogen fertilizer, the plants will tend to grow too tall, flowering and fruiting will be delayed, and the fruit-setting nodes will be higher; if there is insufficient nitrogen fertilizer, the plants will grow poorly and flowering and fruiting will be affected.

edible

Okra is known as the king of vegetables. Its young pods are tender and contain sticky substances composed of pectin and polysaccharides, which give okra a special flavor and a smooth taste. It can generally be fried, made into soup, pickled, canned, etc. In addition to the young fruits, the leaves, buds and flowers are also edible. [2]

Watch

The coffee sunflower has a long flowering and fruiting period, and the flowers are large and brightly colored. The flowers come in yellow, white, and purple, so it is also cultivated as an ornamental plant in Taiwan, China. [2]

Medicinal

Medicinal use: Root: relieves cough. Bark: regulates menstruation. Used for irregular menstruation. Seeds: lactation. Used for insufficient milk. The whole plant: clears away heat, detoxifies, moisturizes and lubricates the intestines.