Foods That Start With D

From basic meats that can be baked, broiled or fried to fancy dishes that include a wide variety of ingredients, there are quite a few entree items that begin with the letter “d.”

• Dagwood sandwich - thick sandwich featuring multiple layers of sandwich meats, cheese, vegetables and condiments; named for a character (Dagwood) in the long-running newspaper cartoon Blondie
• debris po-boy - roast beef and gravy sandwich; meat and gravy are cooked in the same pan so the bits that would get stuck to the bottom of the pan (the debris) are mixed into the sauce; popular served on French bread in New Orleans
• deer - wild game referred to as venison; can be prepared similar to any red meat
• deep dish pizza - rich, thick yeast crust topped with tomato sauce, cheese and any combination of meat and/or or vegetable toppings
• dendeng - very thin strips of chile-seasoned beef, deep fried in oil; Indonesian dish
• Denver omelette - thick omelette stuffed with ham, bacon, cheese, onion, and bell pepper
• deli meat - sliced sandwich meat often used for sandwiches or chopped and added to vegetables to form a chef’s salad
• deviled ham - ground ham mixed with condiments and spices, such as mayonnaise, Tabasco sauce, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce; sometimes includes pickle relish or vinegar
• discada norteña - Mexican dish that involves cooking several types of meat together with spices and a few vegetables
• double cheeseburger - two hamburger patties on a bun with cheese, along with condiments and veggies like lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions
• drumsticks - refers to chicken legs; often enjoyed baked or fried
• duck - poultry; can be prepared similar to any other poultry

The names of numerous side dishes, soups, and appetizers start with the letter “d.”

• dal - lentil soup in Indian cuisine
• dalna - lentil cakes fried in a curried tomato sauce
• dan dan noodles - chinese dish featuring noodles in a thick, spicy sauce with mustard greens and other vegetables
• delele - African dish featuring okra cooked with tomatoes
• delicata squash - winter squash known for its delicate skin and great taste; typically prepared by roasting
• deviled eggs - boiled egg yolk mixed with pickle relish and stuffed into sliced egg whites; often sprinkled with paprika
• dill pickles - cucumbers pickled in a vinegar brine with dill; may include other flavorings such as sugar, garlic or pepper
• dip - sauce designed to eat as a result of having other foods (veggies, chips, crackers, bread) dipped into it; some dips are relatively thin (picante sauce or salsa verde), while others are thick (cheese dip or spinach dip)
• dolmathes - stuffed grape leaves wrapped around spiced rice; may also have ground lamb included with the rice; Greek cuisine
• dumplings - dough balls (such as what is in chicken and dumplings) or dough wrapped around some type of filling (such as pierogi)
• duqqa/dukkah - flavorful herb, spice and hazelnut mixture enjoyed with bread in Middle Eastern cuisine

Quite a few fruits and vegetables have names that begin with the letter “d.”

• daikon radish - long white radish often used in Asian cuisine
• damson plums - fruit of trees by the same name; primarily used to make jam or other preserves rather than fresh eating
• dates - dried plums
• dandelion greens - leafy greens from dandelion plants; often enjoyed in salads, soups or stews
• delirio sweet peppers - orange sweet pepper well-suited to include in salads
• dewberries - berries; similar to blackberries in appearance and flavor
• diamond white bell peppers - mild sweet peppers that start out white but mature to red; delicious in salads
• doux d'espagne sweet peppers - very large sweet peppers also called Spanish mammoth peppers; commonly used in some European Union nations, including Spain, Italy and France
• dragonfruit - tropical fruit that grows on a large succulent (cactus)
• dried fruit - fruit that has been dehydrated; typically has a leathery texture and very sweet flavor
• durian - tropical fruit native to the southeastern portion of Asia; known for its great taste but foul order

From super-hot peppers to fragrant spices, herbs and toppings, there are a number of delicious condiments, spices and flavor enhancements that begin with “d.”

• dandelion jelly - jelly made from dandelion flowers, combined with lemon juice, water and pectin
• datil pepper - small hot pepper similar in heat to a habanero, but with a bit of sweetness
• devil’s tongue pepper - extremely hot pepper similar in heat to a habanero, but with a hint of a citrusy flavor
• dhanraj hot peppers - long thin hot peppers similar in appearance and heat to a cayenne pepper
• dang jo cheongyang peppers - extremely hot peppers used in Korean cuisine
• dijon mustard - flavorful spread made with brown mustard seeds and white wine
• dill - pungent herb in the parsley family; used in pickling and to flavor a variety of dishes
• duck sauce - sweet and sour sauce often eaten with Chinese food items like wontons and egg rolls

Looking for some “d” foods to feed your sweet tooth? No word list focused on food would be complete without a selection of sweet treats. Several types of candy, cookies, cakes, and pastries begin with the letter “d.”

• dark chocolate mousse - fluffy dessert incorporating egg whites with sugar and rich dark chocolate
• date nut rolls - soft, sweet candy made with milk, sugar, dates, nuts, butter, and vanilla
• devil's food cake - rich, chocolate cake
• divinity - super-sweet candy made of sugar, corn syrup and egg whites
• doughnuts - sweet yeasty fried dough often glazed with sugar or slathered with frosting and sweet sprinkles
• dragee - small candy or confection often used as an edible cake or cupcake decoration
• drumsticks (ice cream) - ice cream cones with vanilla ice cream, chocolate coating and nut pieces
• dulce de leche - rich caramel made from sweetened milk and vanilla
• dump cake - very easy cake recipes that involve dumping cans of ingredients (such as prepared fruit) into a store-bought cake mix

There are quite a few words that start with "d," so it makes sense that the names of so many food items begin with this letter. With so many great “d” foods out there, it may take quite a while to try them all. In the meantime, get some ideas on how to explain what they taste like by learning some new descriptive words for food. Or, if you’re ready to find some more interesting culinary items, move on to investigating foods that begin with “e.”