An odd vegetable?

I just came across a well written article about ‘okra’ , the’ strange to some’ vegetable that is native of tropical and warm countries.  

This article is written (in Italian) by an Albanian, who recalls not liking it as a child, but admitting that it is an excellent accompaniment to some dishes. I am sharing it, since I believe it can be enjoyed by my Italian speaking friends and relatives.  

I happen to like okra and have enjoyed it since I was introduced to it decades ago when I was a guest at a friend’s family homestead in South Carolina.  There it was served with the famous southern grits, even for breakfast.  It is, however, a vegetable that was not easily available up north or for that matter in NYC until recent times.  The same can be said about its availability even in northern Italy where I don’t recall ever seen it during my youth there. 

To my great surprise I rediscovered it during my more recent trips to Albania, where it is called 'bamja' , and I can validate its great taste especially when added to a veal stew. I am stealing this picture from the above article to make the point:  A real yummy dish!  
 “Buon appetito!”