Chris Smith’s book The Whole Okra ($29.95, Chelsea Green Publishing) is a celebration of one thing and one thing only: okra. The book is one part cookbook, one part how-to guide, and one part textbook written in an approachable, lighthearted, and humorous manner. Smith tells the world that okra is cool and should be enjoyed more. 

(You can purchase The Whole Okra here.) 

At first glance, the book intimidated me a bit. Is there enough context about okra to deserve a 258-page book? I knew Charlotte-based photographer Peter Taylor was behind most of the bold okra photos, so I flipped the pages looking for those. The photos drew me in — the kimchi okra photo stopped me in my tracks. I needed to know more about this red-hued okra. Next to the photo was a recipe for kimchi okra by Chef Steven Goff of Aux Bar. After reading the recipe, I knew this book was more than just an ode to okra. Smith took his time and research to write why okra is misunderstood and how it can be great. 

Smith opens the book by sharing his first encounter with okra at the age of 26, a horrible experience eating slimy fried okra at a greasy-spoon diner. Six years later after eating it a second time and enjoying it at his wife’s family home in South Carolina, Smith developed a fascination with okra and its history. Speaking with chefs, farmers, food historians, and storytellers, Smith gathered information to create The Whole Okra filled with history, recipes, growing advice, and lore. 

The recipes run the gamut of classic recipes like fried okra and gumbo to more unexpected recipes like bhindi masala (recipe by Meherwan Irani, opening Botiwalla in Optimist Hall this fall) and okra marshmallow delights (recipe by Katrina Blair). Other chefs that contributed recipes include Vivian Howard, Michael Twitty, Virginia Willis, and Sean Brock. 

The Whole Okra is also a how-to guide for growing a variety of okra varietals and utilizing the whole okra for home remedies, beauty, and health. There is not a part of the okra and its plant that Smith doesn’t talk about and showcase. 

I wish there were more books available that focused on one ingredient and dove into its history in such an unpretentious way. I never felt inferior while reading The Whole Okra; I felt encouraged and excited to know there was more to okra than frying it in cornmeal. It has history. It’s not just a Southern American staple — it’s worldly, and we should celebrate okra more often. —Justin Burke-Samson 

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