Okra pods packed whole with a chile japonés and a couple of whole garlic cloves riding along in the brine.

The chile japonés is a small dried red pepper — clean, sharp heat with a smoky edge. It doesn't make this a hot jar. It gives the brine a faint bite and some depth that a plain pickled okra doesn't have. The garlic does the rest.

Good okra should snap, not slime. These do.

The obvious use is a Bloody Mary, and they're excellent for it. The less obvious one is straight out of the jar next to barbecue, where the vinegar cuts through everything on the plate.

Want the Cajun-spiced version with real heat? That's our Bayou Bites.