Delele facts for kids

Delele is a popular dish from countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, northern Botswana, and northern South Africa. It's made from a plant called delele, which you might know better as Okra. Sometimes people also call it "derere."

This dish is often eaten with starchy foods like sadza, phaletšhe, or Vhuswa, which are all types of thick porridge made from maize meal. Delele is special because it's cooked with baking soda and is famous for its slightly slimy texture, which some people really love! You can cook delele fresh, or sometimes it's dried first.

In South Africa, the Vha-Venda people make a similar dish using the leaves of a plant called Corchorus olitorius. This also goes really well with Vhuswa.

What is Okra?

Okra is a type of plant that grows every year. It's part of the mallow family, just like cotton or hibiscus! The part we eat is the fruit, which looks like a long, green pod.

Why is Delele Good for You?

Eating delele, or okra, is great for your body because it's packed with important nutrients. These are things your body needs to work properly and stay healthy.

Vitamins and Minerals

Okra fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C. Vitamin C helps your body fight off sickness and keeps your skin healthy. While the leaves of the okra plant (sometimes called bush okra leaves) have less vitamin C, they still offer other good things.

Collagen and Healing

Bush okra leaves, like those used for delele, have a lot of something called collagen. Collagen is super important for your body's structure. It helps keep your skin, muscles, and other organs strong and healthy. It's also really helpful for healing if you get a cut or scrape.

Your body needs vitamin C to use collagen properly. So, eating okra gives you both the collagen and the vitamin C needed to make it work! Okra can be a natural and affordable way to get these benefits.