Remember that a food starts with “c” and is five letters long, but can’t remember the rest?
You’ve come to the right place!
Read below for a full list of 82 different five-letter foods (alphabetized) from around the world.
You might just discover something awesome.
Alphabetical list of foods with 5 letters
| Anise | Fries | Prune |
| Apple | Froyo | Punch |
| Aspic | Fruit | Quark |
| Bacon | Grape | Quail |
| Bagel | Gravy | Ramen |
| Basil | Guava | Salad |
| Beans | Honey | Salsa |
| Beets | Icing | Squid |
| Berry | Jelly | Steak |
| Bialy | Jerky | Stock |
| Bread | Juice | Sugar |
| Broth | Kebab | Sushi |
| Candy | Kefir | Syrup |
| Caper | Leeks | Taffy |
| Chard | Lemon | Toast |
| Chili | Maize | Torte |
| Chips | Mango | Tripe |
| Clams | Melon | Trout |
| Clove | Mochi | Tuber |
| Cocoa | Nacho | Ugali |
| Cream | Olive | Vodka |
| Crepe | Onion | Wafer |
| Crisp | Oreos | Wings |
| Curry | Pasta | Xouba |
| Dairy | Peach | Yeast |
| Dates | Pecan | Zander |
| Donut | Pilaf | |
| Flour | Pizza |
5-letter foods
Anise
Anise is an ancient spice plant that primarily grows in Mediterranean climes (think Spain, the Middle East, and Mexico). Due to its pungent (licorice) smell, it’s surprisingly effective for scaring off insects! Anise is used as a flavoring in some liquors, teas, and even can be added to my favorite coconut flour bread recipe.
Apple
Did you know that there are over 7,500 varieties of apple around the world? (About 1/3 of those varieties are grown in the US.)
7,500!
But if that’s got you thinking about growing some of your own, just be aware that apple trees take (on average) 4-5 years to produce their first apple harvest.
Probably easier to get store-bought. Gala apples are my favorite.
Apple is also a surprisingly versatile ingredient – did you know you can make your own flour out of it?
(It’s actually super easy.)
Aspic
Aspic is also known by the super appetizing name “meat jelly.” It’s a clear gelatin made from broth, meat stock, or consomme that is then set in a mold and refrigerated.
Like a gelatin-based fruit salad (which you’ve probably had at Thanksgiving), aspic usually holds other bits of food in the gelatin – often chunks of meat or hardboiled eggs.
Bacon
Bacon is awesome. So awesome, that it actually has an officially-recognized religion dedicated to its worship. Seriously – google “united church of bacon,” and you’ll discover a religion with 13,000 adherents based in Nevada.
Or if you’re interested in some fun bacon recipes, check out this keto-friendly bacon jalapeno cloud bread and a great keto bacon cheddar biscuit recipe.
Bagel
Bagels need no introduction – they’re arguably the best breakfast food in the whole world. One of my favorite things about bagels is that they’re so versatile. They can serve as great carriers for delicious spreads like cream cheese, butter, and nutella…an awesome savory breakfast in their own right (think salt bagels, everything bagels, and poppyseed bagels), and even as sweet treats (think cinnamon bagels).
Also, fun fact – bagels are unique in that they are the only bread to be boiled BEFORE it’s baked.
Like other bread products, you don’t have to make bagels with traditional flour – here, for example, is a recipe for coconut flour keto bagels.
Basil
Basil is an herb with a wide variety of uses – it often pops up in italian cooking, particularly pesto and pasta sauces.
Also: Basil is a close cousin to mint and works surprisingly well as a substitute. (If you’re making your own ice cream, try basil instead of mint, and you’ll see what I mean.)
Beans
Estimates vary, but generally it’s believed there are 400 or more different types of beans around the world. About one-third of all beans in the United States are grown in North Dakota.
Because they’re a ready, cheap, and tasty source of protein, beans are often used as a substitute for meat in vegetarian and vegan dishes. We also have beans (cocoa beans, more specifically) to thank for my personal favorite food – chocolate!
Beets
Beets (short for beetroot) are a root vegetable with a deep red color. They are a somewhat “divisive” topic – some people love them, and some people really don’t! I’m in the latter category…just never developed a taste for them. It turns out there’s a reason they’re so polarizing – beets are rich in geosmin, an organic compound that gives them their earthy taste. Depending on your sensitivity to geosmin, you might love or hate that earthiness (or really anything in between). Love their taste (or not), beets have a host of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties and the potential for promoting both gut and brain health – it’s no wonder they can be made into a great healing tonic called beet kvass.
Berry
Berries are probably my favorite fruit, since they’re so versatile. You can snack on them, put them in smoothies, cook with them, and even bake with them.
(Here are two of my favorite berry recipes – coconut flour cranberry muffins and coconut berry bars – yum!).
Only three types of berries are native to North America – blueberries, cranberries, and concord grapes. (It’s no wonder that cranberry sauce is so popular at Thanksgiving!)
Bialy
Bialys are a type of round bread that look a lot like bagels. Instead of a hole in the middle, however, bialys just have a depression in the middle, often filled with poppy seeds and / or cooked onions. Because there’s no actual hole in the middle, bialys are technically NOT bagels (or donuts) – they are their own unique type of bread, courtesy of Bialystock in Poland.
Bread
Bread is incredibly versatile and comes in both sweet and savory varieties. (No wonder it’s been a major food source for humans for 10,000 years!) In fact, it’s so foundational that it was used as currency in ancient Egypt. It’s traditionally made with some basic staples – flour, yeast, water, and salt.
Historically, bread has been made with wheat, but as we’ve learned more about allergies (particularly gluten intolerance) and different ways we can use the tremendous bounty of food ingredients we have available to us, lots of new bread recipes have been invented.
My favorite alternative to wheat bread? Coconut flour bread, which is dense and filling.
Broth
Broth, also known as bouillon, is generally the liquid base for soup or stew or is used to flavor and simmer other dishes. Broth is usually made from vegetables, fish, or meat and is always 100% liquid — just add chunks of food for a delicious stew!
Broth isn’t exactly the same as soup, but I thought this fact was cool – according to archaeological evidence, humans may have consumed soup (specifically hippopotamus soup) as far back as 8,00 years ago!
Candy
I have a serious weakness for candy in most of its forms – but ESPECIALLY for chocolate.
That sweet tooth has led to a few cavities over the years, so one of the things I’ve been dedicated to finding for some time now is great recipes that DON’T involve lots of highly-refined sugars. It’s not been easy, but there are lots of natural sweeteners out there like monkfruit, dates, and honey that can make for awesome, healthier candy recipes.
A few examples: This homemade mounds candy recipe, coconut oil chocolate bars, and (super easy) chocolate coconut balls.
Turns out you can have your candy and eat it, too.
Caper
Capers are edible flower buds that taste a lot like green olives (tangy and salty), but they have a little extra something that distinguishes them. If you haven’t eaten them on their own, chances are good you’ve had them in tartar sauce or as part of a fish sauce.
Chard
Think of chard (or Swiss chard, as it’s often called) as fancy lettuce. It has a mild taste (kind of like spinach), and you can eat it raw or cooked. It’s good in salads, soups, or as a side – you can sub it in for lettuce or spinach just about anywhere.
Chili
Chili could refer to the vegetable (of which there are a startling 4,000 varieties!), or the American dish that’s often mixed with beef and tomato sauce.
I’m going to focus on the second, because it’s winter as I write this, and I’m in the mood for comfort food. Check out my favorite Texas beef chili recipe (#9 on the list).
Chips
You don’t need me to tell you about how great chips are. (My personal favorite? Cool Ranch Doritos. Guilty pleasure.) Generally speaking, chips are “supposed” to be potato-based. But like so many other foods over the years, those lines have gotten blurred as people have focused on gluten-free, allergy-friendly, and just generally more healthy options.
One of my favorite outputs of that move has been the explosion of great coconut chips recipes. (If you don’t feel like making, you could just buy a bag like this one.)
Clams
Clams aren’t the most popular food in the world by a long stretch – in fact, the only way I reliably eat them is in New England clam chowder. (Here’s a healthier, keto-friendly clam chowder recipe, if that’s making you hungry.)
You can also steam or bake clams with a variety of ingredients, and I’ve even come across curry recipes that incorporate clams!
Clams are also endlessly fascinating all on their own. There are over 15,000 species of clams worldwide, and the largest can weigh 550 pounds. (That’s a lot of chowder!)
Clove
Cloves are pungent, powerful spices originating as flower buds from a tree native to Indonesia. If you’ve ever had pumpkin pie, chances are good it was flavored with cloves. In fact, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon are all part of that classic “pumpkin spice” smell and taste that gets so popular every Fall. Cloves also have powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, so they’re good for you!
Cocoa
I say cocoa, and you probably either think “chocolate” or “hot chocolate.”
And fair enough! Chocolate is the best food on earth. (As I’ve mentioned a few times.)
But the fact of the matter is that the cocoa bean actually has FAR more uses than ‘just’ food. In fact, it has antimicrobial and antioxidant nutrients and is great for your skin. (Here’s a more in-depth explainer of all the benefits of cocoa butter for your skin.)
In fact, you can make (edible) chocolate body butter from cocoa beans, and it’s awesome.
Cream
Like “dairy” (see below), cream is one of those general terms that can encompass a lot of different things. Sour cream, heavy cream, and coconut cream don’t have a whole lot in common aside from the fact that they all have “cream” in their name and are very thick. (Of course, “creaminess” is kind of the point of cream, so I guess that does matter…)
Fortunately, for cooking purposes, most creams and milks can be used somewhat interchangeably, which I cover in greater detail in this coconut milk substitutes post.
Crepe
Crepes are very thin pancakes that were invented in France. They’re usually rolled around some kind of filling and come in both sweet and savory varieties. (My favorite sweet crepe? A tie between lemon + sugar and nutella + strawberry. Try them – so good! For savory, I lean heavily on ham + gruyere — it’s basically just a fancy warm ham and cheese sandwich!)
Crisp
When someone talks about “crisps,” usually they’re from the UK or have been heavily influenced by British culture, and what they’re talking about is what us Americans call “chips.” So, everything I talked about in the “chip” section applies here. However, it’s worth noting here that British crisps are often flavored and shaped a little different from American chips, and if you’re looking for something distinctly British, I’d recommend Hula Hoops.
Curry
Curry is my favorite Indian food (aside from possibly naan). It’s usually a heavy, thick, spicy sauce with meat or cheese and lots of vegetables. Curries are usually served with rice. While many takeout Indian curries have dairy in them (not great for my eldest, who is allergic to dairy), there are lots of easy non-dairy curry recipes out there – like this coconut curry chicken recipe that’s a personal favorite of mine.
Curries are so popular and delicious that they’ve even inspired recipes crossing over into other food groups, like this coconut curry soup recipe!
Dairy
Dairy, of course, represents everything milk-based. From ice cream to sour cream to heavy cream, from milk to cheese to greek yogurt, dairy makes up a TON of food.
But if you are allergic to dairy or trying out the dairy lifestyle, there are fortunately a ton of vegan alternatives. And you really aren’t sacrificing taste at this point – there are even tons of great dairy alternative ice creams, and you can substitute my favorite coconut milk for dairy in most recipes without a huge change in taste.
Dates
Dates are fantastic fruits that originate in the Mediterranean and Middle East. They make excellent desserts on their own or can be used to sweeten and flavor other desserts – like these coconut date balls. They can be a great natural sweetener to replace refined sugars, and as a bonus they have lots of calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, and fiber.
Donut
Donuts are a great treat for breakfast (or any meal), as their glazed sweetness gives you a nice boost of energy (and happiness) for the day ahead. Like so many other bread-based recipes, donuts have expanded beyond traditional flower and can now be made for a variety of diets, flavors, and allergies – like these keto-friendly donuts, this coconut flour chocolate donut recipe, and of course so many more.
Flour
Flour was one of the original building blocks of civilization, and today it’s still so important that there’s a whole month dedicated to it! (March is National Flour Month.) Flour is made by milling (or grinding) grain into a fine powder – and it is, of course, one of the primary components of bread.
Fries
Fries are possibly the best incarnation of potatoes – fried in an oil (often olive oil or canola oil; sometimes peanut oil) and dipped in ketchup or mayo. They can be a variety of shapes and sizes – thick steak fries, skinny fries like at McDonalds, waffle fries, crinkle fries, and everything in between. Fries can be sweet or savory (fun fact – McDonalds in Japan used to have chocolate-drizzled fries), and in fact fries don’t have to be made with potatoes (although that’s how they’re most commonly made).
As people have become more health and allergen-conscious, there’s been an explosion of alternative recipes for fried foods that look and taste similar to french fries but are made with healthier ingredients. My favorite? These keto air fryer zucchini fries.
Froyo
Ok, this one might be cheating, since “froyo” is short for “frozen yogurt.” Counterpoint: Froyo is awesome, and everyone will immediately know what you mean when you say it.
Which is surprising, when you consider how new froyo is – it’s only been commercially available since the 1970s! And like a lot of other things on this list, while froyo started out as all-dairy, there are now plenty of vegan options out there. Plus, many froyos have lots of probiotics, meaning they can be good for gut health!
Fruit
Fruits bring natural sweetness to every dish – in fact, you can often use fruit (particularly dates and monkfruit as sweeteners instead of sugar. That’s a great option for anyone looking to trim carbs on the keto or paleo diets, or just in general anyone who’s looking to live just a little bit healthier.
And for your fun fact about fruits – pumpkins and avocados are fruits, not vegetables!
Grape
Chances are good you ate plenty of grapes (and maybe had grape jelly on your PB&Js) as a kid, so I won’t waste space telling you what grapes are. However – did you know there are more than 50 types of grapes grown just in California? One of those varieties – concord grapes – is one of only three berries that are native to North America.
Gravy
Gravy is defined as a sauce made from meat drippings and seasonings. Usually stock is added for body, and flour to make it thicker and richer. While gravy is commonly associated with western European (particularly British and French) cooking, it actually originated in Egypt as far back as 3,000 BC.
Guava
Guava is a tropical fruit that looks light green on the outside, with the inside being pink or red. (Kind of like watermelon.) It’s tasty and sweet, and it’s jam-packed with vitamins (more Vitamin C than oranges, lots of antioxidants, and guava leaf extract can help fight diarrhea).
Honey
Honey is a delicious, natural sweetener made by bees. (It’s a pretty work-intensive process – it takes an estimated two million flower visits by bees to generate one pound of honey.) It’s a great alternative to processed sugars, as it’s all-natural, packed with nutrients, and local honey can even help with seasonal allergies! If you’re feeling under the weather, honey and lemon cough syrup can really help with a sore throat.
Or if you’re in more of a “healthy” mood, did you know you can make your own honey turmeric bombs? It’s true. Super easy.
Icing
When I was a kid, icing was “the good part” of the cake. (Sometimes that’s still true as an adult.) Icing is usually just made from sugar mixed with milk or water and then spread or drizzled on a cake.
Of course, like anything else with sugar in it, there are ways to make icing healthier, like replacing highly refined white sugar with something a little less processed – like coconut vanilla sugar.
Jelly
Jelly is most commonly known as the “other” part of a pb&j, but there’s another definition – any food set in a gelatin. (See my section on aspic, above.) There are some pretty interesting jelly recipes out there (it’s not hard to make) – try coffee jelly if you’re feeling adventurous.
Jerky
Like bread, jerky is one of the oldest foods we know that humans prepared. In fact, salted and dried lean meat is at least as old as Ancient Egypt, although it wasn’t limited to the Mediterranean – we know that Native Americans also routinely dried out buffalo meat for storage, as well.
When I say “jerky” you probably mostly think – beef. But like so many other meat products, jerky has diversified. You can have buffalo jerky, salmon jerky, turkey jerky, bacon jerky, pork jerky, deer jerky…you get the idea. And with that explosion in diversity and popularity, it’s probably no surprise that there’s a National Jerky Day in the United States – it’s June 12th.
Good-quality jerky without lots of added sugar is also an excellent gift for anyone on the keto diet.
Juice
Juice is a broad category that includes the fresh-squeezed liquid from just about any fruit. Store-bought fruit juices are usually full of lots of sugar and extra processed ingredients, so I’d generally recommend buying fresh-squeezed from a farmer’s market, or making your own!
Kebab
A kebab is a dish made of chunks of grilled meat or vegetables (or both) on a skewer or sometimes a spit. Kebabs are most commonly made with chunks of fish, steak, or lamb, usually paired with peppers, zucchini, squash, and onions.
Kefir
Kefir is a drink that’s usually made from fermented milk (usu from a cow, sheep, or goat) combined with kefir grains. It’s jam-packed with probiotics (more than yogurt) and vitamins and minerals (like calcium and K2 – both of which help promote bone health and reduce the likelihood of osteoporosis). With all this (and more) going for it, it’s no wonder that kefir is popular on healthy eating blogs (this one included).
Like so many other formerly “dairy only” drinks, kefir now has plenty of vegan recipes. My two favorites are coconut kefir and coconut water kefir.
Leeks
Leeks are close cousins to the onion and have a sweeter (but still onion-y) taste. They’re great in soups, stews, or roasted on their own.
Lemon
Lemons are one of those most versatile fruits out there. They add citrusy zing to any marinade, and they also do a great job of cutting the sweetness of sugar in a crepe or as part of a baked dessert. Speaking of desserts, my favorite are lemon bars (that recipe is keto-friendly, by the way), and lemon cheesecake.
Maize
Also known as corn, maize is a fantastic vegetable for grilling (usually while still on the cob, wrapped in foil), for added texture in a soup or stew, or just as a side.
Mango
Mango is one of my ongoing favorite fruits. They originate in India (circa roughly 3,000 BC) and provide a bold, sweet flavor to any dish. One of my favorite recipes is this vegan mango mousse.
Melon
Melons are a family of fruits that all have thick rinds and (mostly) sweet interiors. The best-known ones are cantaloupes, watermelons, and honeydew melons, but there are quite a few more out there – like casaba melons, persian melons, and ash gourds. These fruit make great desserts all on their own, but if you’re trying to convince picky children to eat a few more fruits, you could try these homemade fruit snack recipes (#11 includes watermelon).
Mochi
Mochi is a Japanese dish that’s most analogous to a sweet dumpling. Usually there’s some kind of sweet filling with a thin, spongy sticky rice cake molded around it. My favorite mochi have ice cream in the middle and have stretchy tapioca flour added to the dumpling to make it extra chewy. If you haven’t had mochi before, I highly recommend Bubbies strawberry mochi to start.
Nacho
An individual nacho counts as a five-letter word, right?
Nachos are a great date-night food (but, uh, not first dates). They were invented in 1943 and became widely popular in the United States by the 1960s. Meanwhile, nacho cheese (the liquid stuff) isn’t considered “real” cheese by the FDA.
Fun fact, nachos don’t have to be made with chips, and they don’t have to be unhealthy. A friend of mine made a paleo apple nachos recipe that looks delicious.
Olive
Olives provide that salty flavor and complexity to all kinds of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African dishes. Like several other five-letter foods, olives have been consumed since ancient times (roughly since 5,000 BC), and archeological evidence indicates that olives have been crown commercially for the last 5,000 years. Olive oil has extensive health and cooking benefits, and has been used since at least the time of the Ancient Greeks.
Onion
Onions and garlic are probably my favorite cooking ingredients. Red onions just add such an excellent pungency to everything, while yellow and white onions are milder and make a more delicate addition to any meal. The world’s largest onion was 10 pounds and 14 ounces!
Oreos
Oreos are, of course, the beloved chocolate cookie sandwich with vanilla creme in the middle. They’ve been well-loved for a long time – oreos debuted in 1912, so they’ve been around for well over a century. If you’re allergic to dairy, never fear – oreos are vegan (something we discovered with my son, who has a dairy allergy). They’re also kosher! It’s no wonder than an estimated 40 billion oreos are produced (and, I assume, eaten) each year.
Pasta
Fun fact about pasta: Contrary to popular belief, it did not originate in Italy – it’s actually from China! The earliest reports of pasta consumption in China date from 7,000 years ago. Wild.
Today there are over 600 different shapes of pasta, and countless ways to prepare it.
Pasta is another one of those foods that has diversified beyond its roots to cater to different diets, lifestyles, and allergies. You can now make noodles out of all kinds of things beyond the traditional wheat grains. One of my favorites is this healthy zucchini noodle recipe.
Peach
Peaches are some of the sweetest fruits around, and peach cobbler is always a favorite summer treat. (And not surprisingly, August is National Peach Month.) Fun fact about peaches: Georgia may be called the “Peach State,” but California actually produces more peaches.
If you love peaches and want to keep enjoying them after summer when they’re in season, you could make them into delicious fruit snacks. (Check out #13 on the list.)
Pecan
Pecans are, in my opinion, the most underrated of all nuts. They have such a great flavor, and pecan pie (a New Orleans invention) remains one of the best desserts of all time. If you haven’t had pecan butter (like peanut butter, but with pecans), you’re missing out. And candied pecans make salads infinitely more delicious.
Pilaf
Pilaf, as in “rice pilaf,” is made by cooking rice in broth and butter or oil, usually with an additional protein, until all of the water has been absorbed. If this sounds a lot like risotto, the key difference is that pilaf is usually pretty dry, while risotto is wet and a lot more filling.
Pizza
You know what pizza is, so I won’t bore you with the details of what makes pizza pizza – after all, it’s just bread, cheese, and sauce, plus whatever other toppings. There are a ton of great pizzas to choose from out there – Chicago style, Detroit style, New York style, New Haven style, plus all the ones straight from Italy…
Like so many other foods in this list, pizza dough is historically made with gluten, but there ARE great-tasting gluten-free and healthy crusts available now, and plenty of great recipes. My personal favorite vegan pizza crust is made with coconut flour, although if you’re into keto, here’s a good keto-friendly crust.
Prune
Prunes are dried plums (like raisins are dried grapes), and they’re well-known as a good source of fiber and therefore an effective laxative for treating constipation. (They also have lots of other health benefits – they’re high in vitamin A, vitamin K, and potassium.) Prunes are also a good fruit for baking – especially if you’re looking for something that isn’t quite as saccharine sweet as many other fruits.
Punch
“Punch” is a party drink usually served in a large bowl. The alcoholic version usually has juice and/or tea mixed with liquor or possibly wine – think kind of like a sangria. The non-alcoholic version is usually juice mixed with soda, often with sherbet added in the middle as a centerpiece and additional flavoring.
Quark
Chances are you know quark by its other names – dry curd cheese, farmer’s cheese, or pot cheese. Quark is made from soured milk, but it’s smooth and creamy with a very mild flavor. This makes it highly versatile, which is why it’s so prized in Europe and is getting pricey here in the US. Also, it’s arguably a health food – it has more protein than yogurt and no sugar!
Quail
As a bird, quail often gets subbed in for more common fowl (chicken and turkey) in dishes where you’re looking for a smaller protein with a delicate and delicious flavor.
Ramen
If you know and love ramen, it’s likely because of the Maruchan instant noodles (you know, those cups of dry noodles that you just dump boiling water in and then, voila, lunch). But ramen is actually a whole lot more complex than that – there are 19 separate ramen styles that have been categorized and officially accepted by Japan’s Ramen Museum. (Yes, there’s a ramen museum in Japan.)
Salad
Generally, when I say “salad” you think – bed of lettuce, dressing, some toppings. And, sure, that’s still the most frequent usage. But really a salad can be any combination of vegetables (not just lettuce or spinach), and some salads can be quite filling, like this keto broccoli salad.
Salsa
Salsa is usually a spicy tomato-based dipping sauce served with chips, usually (but not exclusively) associated with Hispanic food, since it was adopted from the Mayans and the Aztecs. May is national salsa month.
Squid
If you’ve ever had calamari, you’ve had squid – although of course the non-breaded version is quite a bit more rubbery. If you go to enough fancy restaurants, you’ll eventually find squid sauteed in its own ink, which brings a salty darkness to the dish. It turns out that squid ink is actually pretty startlingly good for you (it’s antimicrobial and a solid immune system booster, and there’s even some evidence it promotes anti-tumor activity), so it’s worth a try.
Steak
Steak is usually defined as a flat piece of high-quality meat taken from the hindquarters of a cow. Generally, around 40% of a cow can be turned into steaks, with the rest going to lesser cuts of beef.
Interestingly, the biggest day for steak consumption in the United States is Memorial Day, followed closely by Labor Day and July 4th. All three are, of course, big grilling days – and grilled steak is always the best steak!
Stock
Meat stock is usually made from bones that have been boiled and then simmered (usually with aromatic vegetables) until a dark liquid forms. (This is different from broth, which is usually thinner and made from the meat itself.) Stock is a great thickener to add body to soups, stews, and other hearty dishes.
Sugar
We all know what sugar is, so I’m going to focus on sugar alternatives, of which there are a ton. Because, while sugar is delicious, it’s also a carb that’s been linked to all kinds of unhealthy health outcomes (including diabetes). There are plenty of sugar substitutes that are heavily processed and developed in a lab; me, I prefer all-natural alternatives like coconut sugar. Also, fun fact – it’s impossible for sugar to spoil!
Sushi
Sushi is usually raw (but sometimes cooked) fish, shrimp, or vegetables nestled in sushi rice and then wrapped in seaweed – perfect for eating with chopsticks.
Sushi is such a popular combination of flavors that “deconstructed” sushi bowls – all the same ingredients, just in a bowl – have gotten really popular. Try the sushi salmon bowl recipe in this post to see what I mean.
Syrup
Chances are good you’ve experienced syrup on pancakes or waffles. All well and good – but syrup has some additional awesome uses, particularly as a healthier sweetener in lieu of highly processed sugar.
Taffy
Taffy is a delicious candy that really gets caught in your teeth – as it’s sticky, chewy, and easily pulls into long strings. Saltwater taffy is an old favorite from beach trips!
Toast
We all know what toast is (bread that’s been singed), so I’m going to focus on toppings. Sure, you can do butter, but try adding cinnamon sugar, chocolate sprinkles, or the Singaporean delicacy kaya on your toast – there’s a wide variety of excellent flavors out there.
Torte
Tortes are decadent desserts, very similar to cakes aside from the fact that they are usually flourless or have very little flour in them. Instead, tortes usually rely on ground nuts (often hazelnuts or pecans) to provide the base, with a correspondingly richer texture and taste.
Tripe
Tripe is the lining of an animal’s stomach (usually cow, sometimes sheep or pig) that is sold as food. The Scottish delicacy haggis uses tripe.
Trout
Most trout are white fish with a mild flavor, excellent for cooking, grilling, or barbecuing – I’d recommend lemon and white wine as bases for the sauce. (You can drink the white wine, too.)
Tuber
Tubers are a variety of earthy, starchy vegetables that grow in the ground – including potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, and taros. You can’t use them totally interchangeably, because they all have distinct tastes, but they can provide extra body to any dish.
Ugali
Ugali is a porridge-like meal that’s made from maize or corn flour, plus water and salt. It’s commonly made and eaten in several countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Like so many other dishes, it has diversified and can now be made using any of the 52 different types of flour out there.
Vodka
Vodka is a potato-based liquor that originates in Eastern Europe (Russia and Poland – the first recorded recipe is over a thousand years old). While most people think of vodka primarily as a drink or drink component, it can also be great for making homemade vanilla extract.
Wafer
Wafers are generally light, crispy crackers or cookies. I prefer mine with cheese.
Wings
Wings are generally small pieces of chicken meat (usually bone-in, although boneless wings have been growing in popularity for all the obvious reasons) covered in some kind of super flavorful sauce. Generally speaking, I’ve found that the chicken is just there to convey the sauce, so why not substitute a healthier base? You’d be surprised how close cauliflower buffalo bites taste to boneless chicken wings.
Xouba
Xouba is another word for pilchard, a small fish often found in sardines. Xouba has an oily taste, is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, and is often used in empanadas.
Yeast
Yeast are single-celled fungi that form a key component to baking great bread. More specifically, yeast is critical to both the loaf’s ability to rise…and that delicious bread smell that permeates your kitchen when you’re baking.
Zander
Zander is also known as Pike Perch; it’s a ray-finned white fish native to Europe. It’s highly prized for its mild flavor, tender meat, and few bones. (So it’s an expensive sub-in for other white fish dishes.)
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