Delele is a

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

an,

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

n, north-eastern

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

and Northern

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

n dish made from a local plant of the same name, and often eaten with

sadza Ugali or Posho or sima (for others, see ) is a type of maize meal made from maize or corn flour in several countries in Africa. Sima is sometimes made from other flours, such as millet or sorghum flour, and is sometimes mixed with cassava flour. ...

or phaletšhe or

Vhuswa Ugali or Posho or sima (for others, see ) is a type of maize meal made from maize or corn flour in several countries in Africa. Sima is sometimes made from other flours, such as millet or sorghum flour, and is sometimes mixed with cassava flour. ...

. The English word for delele is

Okra Okra or Okro (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with su ...

. Okra is also referred to as "derere". It is prepared with

baking soda Sodium bicarbonate (IUPAC name: sodium hydrogencarbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of a sodium cation ( Na+) and a bicarbonate anion ( HCO3−) ...

and well known for its slimy texture. Delele can be dried before cooking, but more frequently it is cooked fresh. The Vha-Venda people of South Africa cook the leaves of

Corchorus olitorius Jute mallow or nalta jute (''Corchorus olitorius'', also known as " Jew's mallow", "tossa jute", "bush okra", "krinkrin", "etinyung", " Mulukhiyah", Ademe (Adémé, in Togo) and "West African sorrel", among many other local names, often invoking t ...

in a similar manner. The dish goes well with

(pap or maize meal).

Description

Okra is a herbaceous, hairy annual plant of the mallow family (Malvaceae) and it is an edible food.

Nutritional Value

Essential nutrients are necessary for health living and are required for various biochemical and physiological processes in the body. Vitamins, enzymes, minerals and amino acids are components which the body need in order to function properly. Okra fruit is an excellent source of

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) an ...

. The leaves such as bush okra leaves contain less amount of vitamin C and as such must be supplemented. Bush okra leaves such as “Delele” contains a high amount of collagen, needed for structural composition of the human body, especially tissue maintenance and healing. Skin tissue, muscle tissue and other organs needs foods or supplements rich in the sulphur compound ( MSM) found in collagen or simply raw MSM, which is a natural edible salt. A close match is

Aloe Vera ''Aloe vera'' () is a succulent plant species of the genus ''Aloe''. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but grows wild in tro ...

slime or gel. The chemical composition of bush okra vary slightly to that of Aloe Vera gel in respect to amounts of vitamins, enzymes, minerals and amino acids. Bush okra has a variety of species and which can be readily available as food source and if used for the purpose of its healing and skin benefits can be a sufficient and cheaper source of collagen. Vitamin C is needed for collagen compounds to be assimilated by the body. Okra, raw Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) Energy 138 kJ (33 kcal) Carbohydrates 7.46 g Sugars 1.48 g Dietary fibre 3.3 g Fat 0.19 g Protein 1.9 g Vitamins Quantity%DV† Vitamin A equiv. 5%36 μg Thiamine (B1) 17%0.2 mg Riboflavin (B2) 5%0.06 mg Niacin (B3) 7%1 mg Folate (B9) 15%60 μg Vitamin C 28%23 mg Vitamin E 2%0.27 mg Vitamin K 30%31.3 μg Minerals Quantity%DV† Calcium 8%82 mg Iron 5%0.62 mg Magnesium 16%57 mg Phosphorus 9%61 mg Potassium 6%299 mg Zinc 6%0.58 mg Other constituents Quantity Water 89.6 g .

References

Zambian cuisine {{Africa-cuisine-stub

Description

Nutritional Value

See also

References