Turkish Okra

Browse and shop for Turkish okra. Some of these traditional okra seeds have been stewarded by small communities in specific regions in Turkey. Others have been grown in home gardens and homesteads widely across the country, generation upon generation. These Turkish okra seeds reflect the significance of seed stewardship in Turkey. They also manifest the incredible diversity and richness of kitchen traditions, flavors, texture, and colors of food crops, among other traits, in the country.

Okra is native to Africa, and it is a crop widely celebrated for so long in Turkey. Turkish okra varieties come in various shapes, textures and flavors. They are a staple food crop across Turkey.

Okra is mainly used in following ways in Turkish cuisine:

Stews (both meat and vegetarian-based)

Soup
Frying
Pickling

In Central Turkey, a special variety, Çiçek, is used to make soup. This variety is typically grown for its very small fruits that are harvested when flowers are still attached to them.

In our catalog, we may also offer Turkish okra seeds which were bred as part of commercial plant breeding efforts in the 20th century in Turkey. These seeds can be more commonly found at farmers’ markets across the country. It is still possible to find these seeds in Turkish commercial seed catalogs. However, many of them are also disappearing from these catalogs due to unacceptable seed laws and regulations that force farmers to become dependent on hybrid and patented seeds. Hence, it is also one of our goals to offer these now commercially rare Turkish okra seeds to pass on their genetically powerful traits that also acknowledge and intersect traditions.

In addition, you may also find here the okra seeds from our culturally appropriate plant breeding and seed selection efforts.