Yes, okra is a food. it is the immature seedpod of the plant that is used, and it is common to southern and cajun/creole cooking. The seedpod contains a natural mucilaginous (slimy) thickener. Okra are also pickled and are quite good. Obviously, I like them. Here in Seattle it is difficult to grow "hot weather" vegetables like peppers and eggplant, but I enjoyed growing those plants I coould just to see what they look like "in real life."
The seeds for okra look like small light tan peas, as I recall. The flowers were a light yellow or whitish color. If you have a bit of space to spare, grow some - they are not invasive (like kudzu), I promise.
There is also a purple variety of okra, but it is the plant that is purple, not the flowers.