In these two or three years, okra has almost become a must-eat dish for guests.

In Japanese cuisine, okra has also become a heavyweight role, including okra sashimi and cold okra appetizers.

I don't really have feelings for okra.

But several close friends often "encourage" me to eat okra.

"Zheng Xiaotu, don't look at okra, but its nutritional value is super high. Eating more is good for your health, good for men, and good for tonifying kidney and strengthening yang. "

I can only cope with "hehehe".

Speaking of okra, it reminds me of the first time I ate it.

A few years ago, I left Zhejiang for Yunnan.

I do financial work related to the machinery and mineral industry, and I often have to deal with local small and medium-sized bosses.

The first time I saw okra, it was on the cold dish of the banquet.

There are long and thin "bamboo shoots" on the plate, which are a bit like green peppers, but they don't look like them when you look closely. I don't know what they are.

My local colleague pointed to it and told me, "This is okra, which is very popular in Kunming these days. Just dip it in the sauce. Very complementary. "

Curious, I pinched one, dipped it in some sauce and took a bite. Seeing half an okra, some sticky liquid flowed out, just like a runny nose, which made people feel a little queasy.

But I ate it anyway, and it tasted crisp. I couldn't find any other adjectives to describe it, and it was tasteless.

The small and medium-sized bosses who ate that meal ate quickly. One or two chopsticks come down, and a pot of okra immediately bottoms out.

My colleague continued to tell me, "Okra is an expensive vegetable now, so don't eat more, Zheng Otter."

I looked at him, and then looked at the few left on the plate. I couldn't think of anything good about okra.

I just think that this should be a mysterious "Yunnan cuisine".

Not long after I returned to Hangzhou, when I went out to eat, I began to find that okra often appeared on the table.

At that time, I was surprised how "Yunnan cuisine" became "Zhejiang cuisine".

But I couldn't figure it out at the time.

I once had dinner with a friend from the food media.

I thought of this question and asked her why okra is so popular now.

Her answer is also very direct.

"Rich in nutrition, it can also control diabetes, lose weight and lose weight. It's strange that it's not popular!"

That's true.

Okra is rich in minerals and vitamins, such as vitamins C, E, carotene, and some trace elements, such as selenium and zinc.

Okra, in particular, has a certain control effect on blood sugar.

The mucus in the middle of okra is actually very good for the human body.

This sticky substance contains high "dietary fiber", such as cellulose, lignin, polysaccharide, pectin and so on.

After dietary fiber enters the human body, it can make people feel full, stimulate gastrointestinal peristalsis, "clean" the stomach, and is not easy to constipation and obesity.

Moreover, it can slow down the rise of blood sugar after meals, which is why okra is a "diabetes nemesis".

However, this is only a certain degree of relief, and the rumors of the Avengers are somewhat exaggerated.

For girls who love beauty and want to lose weight, okra stimulates gastrointestinal peristalsis and accelerates the elimination of garbage in the body. The mucus (fiber) of okra cannot be digested and absorbed by human body.

Eating will make you full, but not fat. Isn't this the best diet food?

I also interrupted and asked, "There are rumors that okra can strengthen the yang?"

The friend replied with a smile: "There is a saying that okra is a plant Viagra, but there is no scientific basis yet."

After that, she added softly, "Anyway, my husband ate it, and I didn't feel any different."

Okra, English okra, also known as okra and croissant.

The okra we eat is actually fruit.

It is a slender strip with a pointed tip, like a woman's ten fingertips, so the British also like to call okra a beauty finger.

Okra is polygonal after being cut, similar to hexagonal and heptagonal stars, with seeds densely covered in the middle.

Ethiopia in Africa is its country of origin.

Later, with the slave trade to the United States, and then the Meiji Restoration, spread to Japan.

190 1 was introduced into Taiwan Province province and became one of the popular fruits and vegetables in summer in Taiwan Province province.

Okra likes to be planted in tropical areas, and there are many in South China. Among them, Pingxiang in Jiangxi and Liuyang in Hunan have the largest output, and the price is about one kilogram of 30 yuan.

At the domestic dining table, okra is mostly used to make cold dishes, dip in soy sauce, or cold okra.

Also, scrambled eggs with okra and tofu mixed with okra.

When eating Japanese food, you can often see cold okra, okra tempura (below) and miso soup (with okra added) on the menu.

In the United States, okra is famous as a thickener for dishes.

There is a classic food in the southern United States, seafood okra, which you can try when eating in American restaurants.

Okra is also one of the standard ingredients in Indian curry dishes.

Over the years, I have read many books about wine and food and got many certificates. I am also a sommelier for sake and whisky in Japan.

I also often communicate with some chefs in Hangzhou restaurants about food.

One day, I finally realized the mystery of the rise of okra among many fruits and vegetables.

20 14 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games made Okra an instant hit, as reported in the following picture.

During Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, as the first choice vegetable for athletes from many countries, okra was called "Olympic vegetable" and "special vegetable". After being exposed by the media, it quickly became popular and the price soared.

As early as the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the audience had seen the pictures of foreign athletes eating okra on TV, but what were your big thoughts about okra at that time?

However, after the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, Okra was quickly pushed to the "immortal throne" by merchants and the media.

It has the effect of "curing all diseases" and has also been labeled as health preservation. Since then, okra has been popular in China.

Later, I calculated carefully that my stay in Yunnan was in the second half of 20 14, when okra was just popular.

So, I was surprised at that time, why I had never heard of okra when I was in Zhejiang.

It turns out that it has caught up with its vigorous development in Yunnan.