Okra - okra (English spelling)

Japanese: オクラ - おくら（英語表記）okra

A perennial plant of the Malvaceae family (APG classification: Malvaceae). Also called American neri. In the tropics, it can grow up to 6 meters tall, but it dies even from a slight frost, so in Japan it is cultivated as an annual plant. It grows 1-2 meters tall, has 15-30 cm alternate leaves, palmately divided into 3-5 lobes, and has long petioles. From summer to autumn, milky white flowers with red centers, 5-7 cm in diameter, bloom from the axils of the leaves, and bloom from night to early morning, wilting by midday. The five thin petals have many vertical stripes and overlap in a spiral shape. Many stamens are united to form a single unit, and the stigma has five lobes. The pods are 10-30 cm long, horn-shaped with five ridges, pointed at the tip, have hard short hairs on the surface, and become woody when ripe. The seeds are spherical and 5 mm in diameter. Seeds are usually sown directly in the spring, but the seeds are hard and require temperatures of about 25°C to germinate. Small seedlings can also be transplanted. The soft young fruits, which are 4-8 cm long, are harvested 2-4 days after flowering.

[Hoshikawa Kiyochika April 17, 2020]

cooking

The small young pods, which are eaten a few days after flowering, are edible, including the seeds. When lightly parboiled, sliced, and stirred, they become slimy and have a unique flavor. They are bright green, with round white seeds lined up along a pentagonal star-shaped cut, giving them an interesting and beautiful shape. They are used in dressings and salads. They go well with wakame seaweed and tororo, and are also delicious dressed with pickled plum flesh. They can also be mixed into natto. They can also be made into tempura or fried dishes, and are good in clear soups, potages, and other dishes. Fully ripe seeds can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute.

[Hoshikawa Kiyochika April 17, 2020]

Okra (square okra)
The cross section of the pod when cut into slices is a pentagon . ©Shogakukan

Okra (square okra)

Okra (whole okra)
The cross section of the pod when cut into slices is circular. ©Shogakukan

Okra (round okra)

Okra flower
From summer to autumn, milky white flowers bloom from the leaf axils. They bloom from night to early morning and wilt by noon. ©Shogakukan ">

Okra flower

Okra pods
It has five horns with sharp tips and hard, short hairs on its surface. Two to four days after flowering, the young fruits, which are 4 to 8 cm long, are harvested and eaten. ©Shogakukan Photo by Hideyuki Asakura ">

Okra pods

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

アオイ科（APG分類：アオイ科）の多年草。アメリカネリともいう。熱帯では高さ6メートルにもなるが、わずかの霜でも枯死するので日本では一年草として栽培する。高さ1～2メートル、葉は互生し15～30センチメートル、掌状に3～5裂し、長い葉柄がある。夏から秋に葉腋(ようえき)から、乳白色で中心が赤色の直径5～7センチメートルの花を開き、開花時は夜から早朝までで、昼までにはしぼむ。花弁は薄質で5枚、縦筋が多数あり、螺旋(らせん)状に重なり合う。雄しべは多数が合一して単体となり、柱頭は5裂する。莢果(きょうか)は長さ10～30センチメートルで、5稜(りょう)の角(つの)状で先がとがり、表面には硬い短毛をもち、熟すと木質化する。種子は球形で直径5ミリメートル。普通は直播(じかま)きで春に種子を播くが、種子は硬実で発芽には25℃程度の温度を要する。小苗を移植することもできる。開花後2～4日を経て、長さ4～8センチメートルになった軟らかい幼果を収穫する。

［星川清親　2020年4月17日］

料理

花期後数日の若い小さい莢(さや)を種子ごと食用にする。軽く湯がいて輪切りにし、かき混ぜるとぬめりが出て、独特の味わいがある。鮮緑色で、五角形星形の切り口に白くて丸い種子が並び、形もおもしろく美しい。和(あ)え物やサラダにする。ワカメやとろろともよくあい、梅干しの肉で和えても美味である。納豆に混ぜてもよい。てんぷらやフライにもされ、吸い物、スープ、ポタージュにもよい。完熟した種子は煎(い)ってコーヒーの代用にされる。

［星川清親　2020年4月17日］

オクラ（角オクラ）
莢を輪切りにした断面が五角形©Shogakukan">

オクラ（角オクラ）

オクラ（丸オクラ）

オクラの花

オクラの莢果

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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