By Brianna Patten

Do you like watermelon? Yams? What about black eyed peas, rice, and bananas? If you enjoy these or many other fruits and vegetables eaten today, you can thank Africans for bringing the seeds of these crops and their agricultural knowledge to the United States. While they had no way of knowing exactly what challenges lie ahead of them, captured Africans smuggled seeds anyway in hopes of retaining their history and culture. Some ate seeds and re-picked and swallowed them when it came out in their feces, while others braided the seeds in their hair. This is evidence of how important seeds were to captured Africans.                    

One such crop brought from Africa was okra. It was a staple in the diets of enslaved Africans not only because it was connected to their heritage, but it was also cheap and plentiful. 

The following recipe is inspired by Mary Randolph’s The Virginia Housewife (1824) and Mrs. B.C. Howard’s Fifty Years in A Maryland Kitchen (1881 edition). There are modern updates to the recipe so that it’s easier to make today. 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil (or lard, which would historically be used)
• 1 small onion, diced and dusted with flour
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 4 cups vegetable broth (chicken or beef broth can also be used)
• 3 cups water
• 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice (or 3 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced)
• 2 cups fresh young okra cut into slices, or frozen okra pieces
• 2 cups cooked rice

Instructions

1. In a dutch oven or large pot, heat ¼ cup of butter and 1 tbsp of oil until melted over medium heat.
2. Add the flour-dusted onion and parsley and cook until onion is translucent and soft. Then add the garlic and cook for a minute more.

3. Add the thyme, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute or so.

4. Add 4 cups of broth, 3 cups of water and the tomatoes and cook on a medium simmer for 30 minutes.

5. Add 2 cups of okra and cook for another 20-25 minutes, or until tender.

5. Ladle the soup over rice, serve and enjoy!

Tips: Not spicy enough for you? You can add more black pepper and red pepper flakes!