Okro Shock

[No Smoking]

No, nor be some recipe..

I've been preparing & cooking okro for yonks. Back in Naija, I grew okro among other things in my garden. But, nothing prepared me for what I saw today.

I bought some okro from an Asian food store I patronise regularly. I tend to wash okro by individual pod, in hot water, before slicing them. As I picked one of the lot for washing, I observed it had an opening on its side,out of which it was leaking some juice. As the pod did not look diseased, I washed it a bit more, then sliced it. Out came a green worm. It crept out fully and continued on to the pod-skin.

It's thin, about an inch long. Can't say if it is a larva or just a worm. I have put it in quarantine, together with its okro pod host.

Has anyone else seen something like this?

[liloldlady]

Originally Posted by No Smoking

No, nor be some recipe..

I've been preparing & cooking okro for yonks. Back in Naija, I grew okro among other things in my garden. But, nothing prepared me for what I saw today.

I bought some okro from an Asian food store I patronise regularly. I tend to wash okro by individual pod, in hot water, before slicing them. As I picked one of the lot for washing, I observed it had an opening on its side,out of which it was leaking some juice. As the pod did not look diseased, I washed it a bit more, then sliced it. Out came a green worm. It crept out fully and continued on to the pod-skin.

It's thin, about an inch long. Can't say if it is a larva or just a worm. I have put it in quarantine, together with its okro pod host.

Has anyone else seen something like this?

dis wan no be news now?
Its not at all unusual, to find insects, (at various stages of development, especially larvae and adult stages) eating away at plant hosts. Especially in warmer climes, where they are not forced into hybernation by cold weather.
Okro pods are succulent, and the insects naturally, will find it quite easy to eat. Hence Okro pods, fall easy prey, to voracious insects.
depending on where it was farmed, crop spraying usually takes care of them.
(Thats why its good to rinse and re-rinse produce thoroughly)
These creepy crawlies are not usually toxic contaminants...just that their 'eeky' quotient is quite high.

[No Smoking]

A-ha, liloldlady. Sank yu flenty flenty.

I sabi ewa wit' im protein kokoro. Nobod dey worry about dat wan.

Even bitter leaf get larva wey dey chop am. 'E jus' take me by surprise to see dis worm abi larva inside okro..

[calist]

Many thanks Liloldlady,

BTW Oga No smoking, how did the okro soup go, don't tell me you were turned off by the sight of the creepy matter.

[No Smoking]

Bo, nothin' spoil..

The discovery was made during the slicing. After the initial disgust and quarantine of the illegal migrant abi na stowaway, I rechecked all the sliced pods and continued with the cooking.

Sebi na swine flu dey for news now. Who sabi when 'e fit be okro flu???

[heart-thief]

So this is what u always eat before coming to class eh Oga NS?
No wonder u speak fluently without a pause.

Honestly.. haven't seen some before. cabbages, fresh pepper and other vegies, yeah but okro, no.

[No Smoking]

H-T, yu get da jist well well. I dey partial for okro fish soup...