Bamia is an

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

and

Central Asian Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

main dish, a stew made with okra, lamb, and tomatoes as primary ingredients. It is commonly made in the following countries and cultures: Afghani, Albanian, Armenian, Assyrian, Jordanian, Azerbaijani, Egyptian, Greek, Iranian, Iraqi, Kurdish, Lebanese, Palestinian, Romanian, Somali, Sudanese, Syrian, Tanzania, and Turkish.Claudia Roden, ''A New Book of Middle Eastern Food'', p. 248 Additional ingredients used can include tomato sauce or tomato paste, onion, garlic,

cilantro Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae. Most people perceive the leaves as ha ...

(coriander), pomegranate molasses, vegetable oil,

cardamom Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genus (biology), genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indon ...

, salt and pepper.

Etymology

The word "bamia" itself simply means "

okra Okra (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in some English-speaking countries as lady's fingers, is a flowering plant in the Malvaceae, mallow family native to East Africa. Cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions aro ...

", and it is

etymologically Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...

an Arabic word. In dish name in , or ; in ; in ; in ; and in .

History

Okra Okra (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in some English-speaking countries as lady's fingers, is a flowering plant in the Malvaceae, mallow family native to East Africa. Cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions aro ...

is a native plant of Africa.

Medicine in the medieval Islamic world In the history of medicine, "Islamic medicine", also known as "Arabian medicine" is the Science in the medieval Islamic world, science of medicine developed in the Middle East, and usually written in Arabic language, Arabic, the ''lingua franca ...

considers okra a medical plant; and according to physician Ibn al-Baytar, okra has "cool" and "moist" traits, and is "the 'moistest' of all vegetables" (which is undesirable). Early Persian references mention bamia (okra with lamb) as an Egyptian recipe, but the exact history is unknown.

Regional variations

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bamia (natively 'bamija' or 'bamja') is also prepared in Bosnia and Herzegovina where it is considered a traditional cuisine dish. It is made throughout the year, both at homes, and sold in traditional food restaurants. Bosnian bamia is prepared as a veal stew. It is cooked for a long time until the meat is completely soft.

Egypt

In Egypt,

sinew A tendon or sinew is a tough band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It sends the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system, while withstanding tension. Tendons, like ligaments, are made of ...

(tendons) of lamb are typically used, which can endure long cooking times. Ta'aleya, an

Egyptian ''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...

garlic sauce, is used as an ingredient to add flavor to bamia.

Iran and Afghanistan

In Iran and Afghanistan, bāmieh is served as a khoresh (stew) along with rice. It is a popular dish in the southern provinces. The Iranian regional version of bamia includes the use of turmeric, vinegar, potatoes, and red chili flakes. A similar Iranian recipe exists for okra stew with the addition of yellow lentils ().

Iraq

Iraqi Jews The history of the Jews in Iraq (, ', ; , ) is documented from the time of the Babylonian captivity . Iraqi Jews constitute one of the world's oldest and most historically significant Jewish communities. The Jewish community in Mesopotamia, kn ...

, put semolina kibbeh in their regional version of bamia stew. Bamia is prepared across the Levant region of Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. It is usually served over rice and vermicelli, and topped with pomegranate molasses.

Turkey

In Turkey, bamia (natively ''bamya'') is an

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

n stew that has a

sweet and sour Sweet and sour is a generic term that encompasses many styles of sauce, cuisine, and cooking methods. It is commonly used in East Asia and Southeast Asia and has been used in English cuisine, England since the Middle Ages.Clarissa Dickson WDickson ...

flavor. It is prepared using okra, lemon juice, olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Turkish bamia is sometimes served as a palate cleanser between food courses at ceremonial feasts.

Notes

References

{{Authority control Middle Eastern cuisine Arab cuisine Armenian cuisine Egyptian cuisine Greek cuisine Iranian cuisine Okra dishes Turkish stews