A rich, thick soup usually thickened with okra.
Although the okra used in gumbo makes that soup extremely thick and gummy, gummy is not the source of gumbo. Gum and gummy derive from a Greek source, whereas gumbo comes from Bantu, an African language. The Bantu word for okra, ochinggombo, was brought to America, along with the plant, by slaves who modified its name to gumbo and bestowed it upon a soup made from its pods. The word was then adopted by English in the early nineteenth century when the soup became a popular Louisiana dish. Not surprisingly, the word okra is also of African origin: it derives from the Tshi nkruman, Tshi being a language spoken in Ghana. English adopted okra as the name of the plant in the early eighteenth century, but other European languages did not. In French, for example, the plant is called gombo, a name obviously deriving from gumbo.
Gumbo is a beloved regional dish that originated in New Orleans, created by Créole cooks who combined a range of flavorful ingredients to create a dish that is both hearty and satisfying. This unique dish is often described as a soup-like stew or a stew-like soup, depending on who you ask, and is characterized by the use of shellfish, poultry, meat, or a combination thereof. In most parts of the South, gumbo is thickened with okra, which gives it a distinctive texture and flavor. However, New Orleans has its own unique variation of gumbo, which is thickened with file powder ground from the leaves of young sassafras plants. This variety of gumbo, known as gumbo file, has a rich and complex flavor that is beloved by foodies and chefs alike. Regardless of which variety of gumbo you prefer, the dish is traditionally served in soup plates over a bed of rice, creating a hearty and satisfying meal that is perfect for any occasion.