Many years ago, Sharon and I posted a Bamia (okra) stew on our Sephardic Spice SEC Food Facebook page. Rene, the Egyptian born mother of our friend Molly, was not happy. She responded in the comments in all caps. “YOUR BAMIA IS TOO BIG!!” “COME TO MY HOUSE AND I’LL SHOW YOU HOW IT’S MEANT TO BE COOKED!”
We still laugh when we think of it and we remember her so fondly. But she was right—the best okra are the small ones.

The Moroccan kitchen doesn’t include okra, which I find strange because it is so popular throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean. I was introduced to okra by my Rhodesli husband, who absolutely adores it. When he was a little boy, his mother and grandmother would actually serve him bamia sandwiches.

Okra has the power to connect people. My husband is an immigration attorney so whenever he has a Muslim or Christian client from the Middle East, talking about bamia is a sure ice breaker. Right away. “How do you make it?” “For sure, it has to be small, not large.” At which point, one of them will stick out their index finger and show the correct measurement. Everyone has an opinion on the correct size!


I have to admit that when I first tried it, I didn’t love it because it was slimy. Okra is one of those food that you either love or absolutely detest. (It helps to be introduced to it in childhood.) For many years, I would cook it but not really eat it, just tasting it to make sure the sauce was lemony enough. Then, a few years ago, at the LA Persian kosher markets, I discovered frozen baby okra. It’s soft and tender and delicate in flavor and I became a fan of this healthy vegetable!
#sephardicspicegirls #jewishfood #sephardicfood #turkishfood #bamia #okra #saboresdesefarad #vegetables

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