37 Foods That Start With Y From Different Cultures

By
, Staff Writer
Updated May 27, 2021
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Yum! It’s time to explore some scrumptious foods that begin with "y." Not only can you find veggies and fruits that begin with "y" but some great recipes too. Get ready to expand your vocabulary and diet through this fun list.

Vegetables and Fruits That Start With Y

Are you looking to expand your palate by exploring all the unique foods of the alphabet? Well, you’ve nearly made it to the end. When it comes to food that starts with "y," you can find them all over the globe. Start your food exploration with fruit that starts with "y."

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  1. Yacon - Also known as a Peruvian ground apple, a yacon is a tuber, like a sweet potato, that grows in Columbia.

  2. Yali pear - A cross between an apple and a pear; Yali pears, or white Chinese pears, are grown in Asia.

  3. Yam - Much like their potato brothers, yams are tubers grown in tropical areas around the world.

  4. Yangmei - Chinese wax fruit, also known as Myrica rubra, has medicinal properties and grows from the wax myrtle tree.

  5. Yardlong bean - Also known as the asparagus bean, yardlong beans are long asparagus-like beans with a mild asparagus flavor grown in Africa.

  6. Yellow wax bean - Pale yellow beans are similar to green beans, have a sweet, nutty flavor, and are grown worldwide.

  7. Yellow eye bean - Falling in the same family as a kidney bean, yellow eye beans have a unique look to them where they are mostly white but with a yellow spot or eye. They are grown in the U.S.

  8. Yellow mombin - A type of plum, the yellow mombin goes by names like Spanish plum, hog plum and gully plum along Jamacia and the Caribbean Islands where it’s grown.

  9. Yellow passion fruit - An exotic fruit grown in tropical climates, like Brazil and Hawaii. It has distinctive yellow skin.

  10. Yellow yam - A common part of Jamaican cuisine, the yellow yam is a tropical root vegetable native to West Africa and other tropical climates.

  11. Yiessa - This is a sweet, yellow or orange fruit grown in Central and South America.

  12. Youngberry - A unique berry created from a cross of raspberry, blackberry and dewberry in the 20th century grown in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

  13. Yuca - Not yucky, but yuca are grown in South America and Africa and are in the same family as a potato.

  14. Yukon gold potato - Another crossbreed, Yukon gold potatoes were formulated in Canada by crossing a North American white potato with a South American yellow potato to create a golden potato good for mashing, frying and baking.

  15. Yumberry - Small berry that originates in Asia; yumberries are also known as Chinese bayberries, Japanese bayberries and Chinese strawberries.

  16. Yunnan hackberry - A Yunnan hackberry is similar in shape to a cherry and is a small fruit native to North America.

  17. Yuzu - A citric fruit shaped like a lumpy lemon, Yuzu is native to Asia with a sour, tart taste.

Foods That Start With Y

While fruits and veggies that begin with "y" are a large group, you can find other foods and dishes out there that begin with the letter. Explore some unique "y" foods you can add to your diet.

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  1. Yabby - A crayfish delicacy found in the freshwater of Australia.

  2. Yakhnet batata - A Lebanese potato soup made with fried tomatoes.

  3. Yakhnet sabanekh - Made in Lebanon, Yakhnet sabanekh is a spinach meat stew made with rice.

  4. Yakitori - A dish native to Japan, Yakitori is a type of skewered chicken where meat is grilled with a special type of skewer called a Kushi.

  5. Yankee pot roast - A specialized pot roast, Yankee pot roast is served with vegetables like potatoes, carrots and turnips.

  6. Yassa - This is a Senegalize spicy dish including onions and chicken or poultry in a unique marinade.

  7. Yeast - A fungi, yeast is used in many recipes, including bread.

  8. Yellow cornmeal - Common in the U.S., yellow cornmeal is made from grinding corn.

  9. Yellowfin tuna - A tropical fish served in a variety of dishes such as yellow fish curry.

  10. Yellowtail sushi roll - A Japanese dish including sushi rice, sashimi-grade yellowtail and green onions.

  11. Yellow moong dal - Called yellow lentils in English, yellow moong dal is a flat, yellow bean grown in India.

  12. Yemas - A Philippino sweet candy made from egg yolks with a sweet custard taste.

  13. Yiros - Also known as giros in America, yiros are a Greek dish including meat and vegetables in pita bread.

  14. Yodels - A devil’s food cake dessert made by the Drake’s company of the United States.

  15. Yoginanas - It’s a low-fat dessert created using yogurt, bananas and cornflakes on a stick.

  16. Yogurt - Yogurt is made from fermented milk and comes in all the flavors under the sun.

  17. Yokan - A Japanese dessert, yokan is a jelly dessert made with red beans.

  18. Yolk - The yellow part of an egg used in recipes.

  19. Yorkshire pudding - A English dessert, Yorkshire pudding is a baked pudding created with eggs and milk.

  20. Yorkshire teacake - It’s a sweet bun filled with dry fruit common in England.

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Delicious Foods Starting With Y

Exploring foods from around the world can be fun and educational, as can exploring words that begin with different letters. Now that you know a yummy list of "y" foods, you might give foods that start with "z" a try. You never know what you’ll learn about ziti and zucchini. Or, head over to WordFinder by YourDictionary where you can find an extensive list of other words that start with "y."