Why is this one of the best soups ever? Let me explain: During cooking, okra exudes a mucilaginous liquid that lends the soup with a sumptuous, silky texture. The chickpeas thickens the broth and adds a nutty flavor that compliments the vegetables. And finely, the spices incorporated at the end further enriches the dish and provides a faintly peppery, grassy bite. Of all the dishes in the realm of Louisiana cooking, gumbo is the most famous and, very likely, the most popular.  Although ingredients might vary greatly from one part of the state to another, a steaming bowl of fragrant gumbo is one of life’s cherished pleasures, as emblematic of Louisiana as chili is of Texas.