Native Vegetables
Vegetable is an essential food for human beings. It is, in concern of nutrition, indicated one of the five main groups of nourishing food. Thais are good at learning and living with nature. Native vegetables are proudly considered Thai wisdom that shows ability in a wise learning process to select nutritious vegetables for their regular consumption. There must have been remarkable learning of nutritional value of native vegetables and this is inherited to Thai descendants from time to time. Native vegetables are, therefore, impressing Thai wisdom, which are worth considering learning about and disseminate to the world's interest.
Krajeab morn (okra)
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Kra
jeab morn, also
known as other local names; Ma koa kwai, Ma koa pama, Ma koa muen and
Ma koa lawo. Scientific name is Hibiscus Sabdariffa.
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Its young fruits can be blanched, steamed or burnt to prepare a side dish for spicy Thai chilli paste (Nam Prik). To cook sour curry, young fruits are also used. Main ingredient s is well-mixed chilli paste, comprising of chilli, salt, lemongrass, turmeric, onion and shrimp paste. The chilli paste is then fried with fish. When the fish is well done, young Okra fruits are put in and fill some water. Then wait until it boils. Lime juice is added, followed by the fish previously cooked. The result is a delicious dish of Thai sour curry. |
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Dried
Okra fruits
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One teaspoon of powdered okra fruits can be made herbal medicine for curing peptic ulcer because there are pectin and mucilage which are useful for relaxing acidulous stomach. | |
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General
Characteristic
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Herbage, 1-2 metres high with green, rough, hairy and round stem. Single leave with serrated hand-shape is 7-26 centimetres wide and 10-30 centimetres long. Flowers are axillary. Yellow petals with reddish purple base. Anther's claws are tubular. Flowers are bisexual, both stamen and pistil are in the same flower, and self-pollination. |
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Fruits
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Dark green capsule like, long, slender and pentagon shape raising upwards. Black seeds. One fruit has around 200 seeds. |
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Translator : Aketawan Manowongsa
18 March 2000
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Translation Service Khanob Thai Co.,Ltd. Thai/English/ Japanese/Chinese www.khanobthai.com |