The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration

Product Description

2020 James Beard Award Winner
With recipes for gumbos and stews, plus okra pickles, tofu, marshmallow, paper, and more
Chris Smith’s first encounter with okra was of the worst kind: slimy fried okra at a greasy-spoon diner. Despite that dismal introduction, Smith developed a fascination with okra, and as he researched the plant and began to experiment with it in his own kitchen, he discovered an amazing range of delicious ways to cook and eat it, along with ingenious and surprising ways to process the plant from tip-to-tail: pods, leaves, flowers, seeds, and stalks. Smith talked okra with chefs, food historians, university researchers, farmers, homesteaders, and gardeners. The summation of his experimentation and research comes together in The Whole Okra, a lighthearted but information-rich collection of okra history, lore, recipes, craft projects, growing advice, and more.
The Whole Okra includes classic recipes such as fried okra pods as well as unexpected delights including okra seed pancakes and okra flower vodka. Some of the South’s best-known chefs shared okra recipes with Smith: Okra Soup by culinary historian Michael Twitty, Limpin’ Susan by chef BJ Dennis, Bhindi Masala by chef Meherwan Irani, and Okra Fries by chef Vivian Howard.
Okra has practical uses beyond the edible, and Smith also researched the history of okra as a fiber crop for making paper and the uses of okra mucilage (slime) as a preservative, a hydrating face mask, and a primary ingredient in herbalist Katrina Blair’s recipe for Okra Marshmallow Delight.
The Whole Okra is foremost a foodie’s book, but Smith also provides practical tips and techniques for home and market gardeners. He gives directions for saving seed for replanting, for a breeding project, or for a stockpile of seed for making okra oil, okra flour, okra tempeh, and more. Smith has grown over 75 varieties of okra, and he describes the nuanced differences in flavor, texture, and color; the best-tasting varieties; and his personal favorites. Smith’s wry humor and seed-to-stem enthusiasm for his subject infuse every chapter with just the right mix of fabulous recipes and culinary tips, unique projects, and fun facts about this vagabond vegetable with enormous potential.
 
 

Review

Library Journal―
“A cultural, horticultural, and culinary plunge into one of the world’s slimiest foods . . . Foodies, gardeners, and those who wish to push their own taste buds are encouraged to embrace the anthropomorphizing of okra and take a deep dive into its many possibilities.”

“The volume you hold in your hands is a love song long overdue. It is anything and everything you wanted to know about this hallmark ingredient. . . . I leave you in the capable hands of Chris Smith, your leader on a journey through the world of The Whole Okra.”―Michael W. Twitty, author of the James Beard Award–winning book The Cooking Gene

“Okra is a contentious vegetable―folks love it or hate it. No one is ambivalent. Well, I am an okra lover, an okra apostle, an okra evangelist―and Chris Smith is my absolute hero. He has written the definitive book on okra. The Whole Okra is packed with tips, techniques, gardening advice, and recipes. It’s an absolute must-have for okra devotees.”―Virginia Willis, James Beard Award–winning cookbook author and chef 

“Chris Smith takes a deep, deep dive into American okra culture, and the result is this amazing encyclopedia of our most misunderstood vegetable. The Whole Okra is a long-anticipated contribution to the foodways of the American South.”―Sean Brock, James Beard Award–winning chef and author

“Much maligned, okra is among the most underrated vegetables. Okra is delicious, versatile, plentiful, and worthy of the attention it gets in The Whole Okra. If you are an okra lover, this book is an affirmation, filled with interesting stories and great ideas for using pods, flowers, and more. If you are not yet an okra lover, Chris Smith’s enthusiasm may well convert