Okra is a warm-season vegetable, also known as gumbo or ladies' fingers. It is a good source of minerals, vitamins, and fiber. It contains a characteristic viscous juice that can be used to thicken sauces.
Ladies' fingers can be used in salads, soups, and stews, fresh or dried, fried, sautéed, roasted, or boiled. They can also be pickled.
Cutting okra and cooking it in moisture releases a mucilaginous, or slimy, juice that increases the thickness of soups and stews. Dried okra can also be used to make or thicken a sauce, or as an egg white substitute.
Okra seeds can also be roasted and ground to make a non-caffeinated coffe substitute.
Some people do not enjoy the gummy texture of okra. Cooking the whole pods quickly can avoid this.