Maybe a popular talk-show host. People either love okra or they absolutely hate it. But cooked properly, this viscous juice serves as a non-viscous thickening agent.
Gumbo is actually the Swahili word for okra.
The vegetable came to the U.S. via the slave trade, and proliferated in the Southern states. When incorporated in a slow-cooked stew such as gumbo, the vegetable's texture doesn't stand out. Instead, the mucilage loses the sticky quality and makes the sauce thick and hearty. B. Smith, the host of Food Network' s B. Smith with Style , likens okra's subtle flavor to the mildness of broccoli. When cooking for herself she often steams it, finishing it with a drizzling of butter.