Pulse Bizarre Bites: Okra soup & rice, a combo for Nigerian millennials or just odd?

The Igbo tribe in Nigeria calls it "ọ́kụ̀rụ̀", while the Yoruba’s call it "Ila." Most people classify okra as a vegetable but botanically, it's a fruit because it has seeds. This fruit is one of the key ingredient in the most prepared traditional Nigerian dishes called okra soup. Most Nigerians have fallen in love with this dish because of its quick and easy recipe with most of its ingredients at arm’s length in the kitchen.

The renowned Nigerian okra soup is quite simple to prepare with ingredients like; okra, palm oil, beef, iced fish, dry fish, stock fish, crayfish, pepper and salt (to taste), onions (optional), vegetable - Nigerian pumpkin leaves or spinach and seasoning cubes.

Okra is known for its versatility and nutritional benefits which makes the dish prepared in almost every Nigerian home and restaurant. Originally, okra soup is paired with traditional starchy staples like eba, pounded yam and fufu but overtime, these starchy staples are ditched for rice. Could it be that rice is more accessible and affordable which made it gradually become an alternative accompaniment? Possibly true.

Rice is one dish almost every Nigerian can’t do without. In fact if this writer doesn't eat rice in one week, it feels like her existence as a human being isn’t complete.

Our method of intermingling local and international dishes has driven us to the weird or odd combination of okra soup and white rice.

Freshly prepared okra soup with beef, smoked fish and crunchy ugwu leaves contains vitamins A, C, and K, which are essential for immune function, skin health, and bone health. While white rice is naturally gluten-free, making it suitable for individuals with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

The downside of this dish is that it can sometimes lack other vital nutrients like protein and healthy fats, depending on the specific recipe and ingredients used. Also, if this dish is prepared with high-sodium ingredients like seasoning cubes, salt, etc, it can contribute to high sodium intake, which can cause hypertension and other cardiovascular issues.

My verdict is; To include this dish in your meal plan, okra soup should be prepared using healthier oils, balanced protein sources like fish, beef, chicken and less use of high-sodium seasonings. Brown rice should be used instead of white rice to increase fiber intake and provide more nutrients.

(Takes deep breath) However, this writer personally thinks okra soup and white rice isn’t an odd dish, which shouldn’t be left only for millennials but everyone should have a taste of it including the Gen-Z-ers. And yes, I have tried the dish and it's quite slimy. But is it tasty? Well, you be the judge of that.

I hope you’ve set before you a bowl okra soup and white rice as either lunch or dinner. As usual, keep your mouths open to receive and your taste buds adventurous!