History: Popular in African, Middle Eastern and Indian cuisines, okra was introduced to the American South by Ethiopian slaves. It's still popular in the South, where it's served in soups, stews, gumbo and as a side dish. Okra also plays an important role in the dishes of the Caribbean and South America.

        FYI: The word “okra” derives from a Ghanian language. “Gumbo,” another common name for the vegetable and the spicy Louisiana stew, comes from an Angolan language.

        Buy: Look for firm, brightly colored green pods under 4 inches long. (Longer okra pods may be tough and fibrous.) Avoid pods that are dull in color, limp or blemished.

        Store: Keep okra in a paper bag in the upper (usually warmer) part of the refrigerator, or at cold room temperature for up to three days. Temperatures below 45 degrees can damage okra.

        Prepare: Wash and dry okra before trimming. If large okra is to be cooked whole, shave off the cap, taking care not to open the capsule and expose the seeds. When recipe calls for sliced okra, cut off the whole top end and slice the pod. Fry, steam or braise okra for side dishes. Simmer in soups and stews. When cooked, okra exudes a sweetish, clear, viscous liquid that serves as a thickener. Balance this slippery character by pairing the vegetable with acidic ingredients such as tomatoes, lemon and vinegar.

        Good for you: Okra contains fair amounts of vitamins A and C.

        Professional treatment: Most restaurants do not stick their neck out by experimenting with okra, and for the most part, that's a good thing. Of all the vegetables, it is the most vulnerable to bad cooking. One good way to eat okra is in Indian restaurants, usually served as bhindi masala, cooked in a spicy stew. Aralia in Loveland serves okra Sri Lankan-style in a spicy stir-fry. Another frequent encounter with okra is in gumbo, where it thickens things. Some Southern soul-food restaurants serve okra, such as Manhattan West in Pleasant Ridge, where it's either steamed or fried.

        Dining writer Polly Campbell contributed.

        At Commander's Palace and their other restaurants in New Orleans, the Brennan family serves this okra dish as a light first course:

        Mr. B's Marinated Okra
        1 pound small okra pods
        1/4 cup red wine vinegar
        About 1/4 teaspoon salt
        1/3 cup olive oil
        1 small red onion, sliced and separated into rings
        Lettuce
        1 pint cherry tomatoes

        Trim okra stems without cutting into pods. Drop into boiling, salted water and cook until just tender — but not soft — about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and dunk into ice water. Drain and blot dry.
        Combine vinegar and salt to taste. Add olive oil, onion and cooked okra. Cover and chill for 2 hours or more. Drain and serve on lettuce, garnished with cherry tomatoes.
        — Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables (Morrow; $28)

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Serve it this week: Okra