The magical nature of Okra
me searching for okra Vesterbro, Copenhagen photo courtesy of Intisar Abioto Okra is one of those fruits (yes, it's a fruit because it has seeds!) that you either love or hate. From the moment I first discovered the plant in my grandmother's garden on Emerald Drive in Diamond Vale Trinidad, I was hooked. It's a relative to the hibiscus plant and legend has it that it first came to the so-called New World as seeds hidden in a a female slave's hair. Okra, lady fingers, bindi - can be found all over the world, much like the African diaspora. I don't know what it is about this plant that speaks to my soul so - maybe because the word itself means soul in the Asanti spiritual system or not- but one of the best ways for me to smooth my longing for home i.e. at my grandmother's side, is by cooking okra. To be honest, I feel like this plant is in my DNA. One of my earliest memories besides discovering this beautiful plant in my grandmother's garden is co...