Okra belongs to the same group of plants as cotton, hibiscus or cocoa tree. Its fruits are pentagonal beak-shaped pointed capsules up to 18 cm long, containing many small white edible seeds. On the cross-section, there is a clear five-sided profile of the fruit and the arrangement of the seeds into separate "chambers". The fruits are dark green, slightly fluffy, similar to zucchini, which they also taste very reminiscent of.
The fruits of hibiscus are harvested unripe and are a very tender, tasty and decorative vegetable. The seeds are eaten roasted, but are usually eaten at the same time as the fruit. Fresh okra is flexible, tender and firm, with no wrinkled parts or brown bruises.
They will last a long time, especially in the cold.

When sliced and cooked, the fruits secrete a slimy, slightly sticky whitish substance, so they are especially suitable for soups and sauces. The fruits are eaten whole and sliced, usually crosswise - with or without seeds. They can be added to meat dishes, vegetable mixtures, sauces, soups, but also served fried in butter as a very tasty, delicate side dish.

It is native to West Africa, from where it was probably introduced to the New World during slave transports. It is popular in Turkey, Lebanon, Greece, Syria, Egypt, the Balkans, India and more recently in the USA. It is nutritious and at the same time easy to digest, so it is also suitable for people with digestive problems.