okra is cool. it's flowers are very beautiful when in full bloom. probably my favorite of all flowers. pictures don't do it justice, the abrupt gradient shift from a light, pale yellow to a deep, dark imperial purple. not something frequently seen in nature.

as a food, i think they're awesome. i love them in stews and of course gumbo, the great collision of many folk stews. i love them fried, of course. pickled okra is a bit too intense for me, but mostly due to the pickling. i won't turn pickled okra down, but i won't go out and buy them either.

i even like them straight up raw off the plant. when i used to work as a seasonal picker and be hungover at like 6am, a couple small and tender pods would settle the stomach with its mucilaginous texture and dial back that cottonmouth feeling of dehydration.

a friend of mine hates okra. he says they're "slimy", as though everything chewed up isn't slimy in the mouth. he's like 47, but i think saying okra is too slimy is childish.