Whether you’re an expert foodie or novice in the kitchen, learning about new foods can help you grow your knowledge base and introduce some new foods into the kitchen or inspire you to try new restaurants in your area.
You may be surprised to know there are over 50 foods that start with the letter “F”, from some of your favorite fruits and vegetables to rare and obscure delicacies from all over the world.
Get your Google search bar ready, because we’re digging into 51 foods that start with the letter “F,” and you’re definitely about to be inspired to search for new recipes to try in the kitchen.
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51 Foods That Start With F
Here is a list of foods that start with the letter “F” in alphabetical order, representing some of your favorite fruits and vegetables and international delicacies from all over the world, from Fairchild Tangerines to Fuyu Persimmon.
Fairchild Tangerine
A Fairchild tangerine is a fruit with a deep orange color that is juicy with a sweet flavor. It is a cross between a Clementine mandarin and an Orlando tangelo.
Faerie Watermelon
A Faerie watermelon is a variation of a watermelon that has a creamy yellow rind with thin stripes. Its flesh is pink-red and has a high sugar content and crisp texture.
Fajita
Fajitas are a popular Mexican food that is served in a corn or flour tortilla, filled with ground meat, chicken, or another type of meat and a variety of vegetables and sauces.
Fairytale Pumpkin
Fairytale pumpkin is a French heirloom that has a mahogany orange flesh that is often used to make baked squash. They can also be eaten raw, and are 12-18” across, weighing around 15 pounds.
Fat-Hen
Fat-Hen is a type of fast-growing wild plant harvested for use as a grain or vegetable that resembles spinach when cooked. Its high-protein seeds make it closely related to quinoa.
Fava Beans
Fava beans come from a flowering plant in the pea and bean family. It is a crop cultivated for human consumption. They can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried.
Feijoa
Feijoas are Brazilian egg-shaped fruit that has a color and texture that resembles limes. The fruit has a tropical flavor that is a mix of banana and pineapple, and the center has jelly-like seeds that are edible.
Fennel
Fennel is a plant in the carrot family. It has a long green leafy stem and bulb, both of which are edible, but it is the bulb that is generally used in cooking. It originated from the shores of the Mediterranean but has since become nationalized.
Fennel Seeds
Fennel seeds come from the fennel plant and are eaten raw or used in curries, stews, bread, desserts, and beverages. Chewing fennel seeds is said to help with digestion and prevent or reduce gas.
Fenugreek
Fenugreek is used as a flavoring agent in spices, foods, beverages, and tobacco. Its extracts are also used in cosmetics and soaps. Fenugreek has been used to increase the milk supply in women who were breastfeeding in North Africa, Asia, and Southern Europe.
Fiddlehead
Fiddlehead, or fiddlehead greens, are harvested for use as a vegetable. They can be steamed, sauteed, braised, or pickled and are a cross between asparagus and spinach.
Field Garlic
Field garlic, also known as wild garlic, is an edible plant used in broths, soups, and roast. The green tops can be used like chives and the bulbs can be used as a substitute for onions.
Fig
A fig is a soft, sweet fruit that comes from a fig tree. It has thin skin and tiny small seeds inside of it. Figs can be eaten once ripe or used to make jam and other desserts.
Filbert
Filbert comes from filbert trees and is another name for hazelnuts. Oregon is said to grow 99% of the hazelnuts in the United States, but worldwide, Turkey takes the lead, growing 70% of the world’s hazelnuts.
Finger Grapes
Finger grapes, also called witch finger grapes, are a cluster of grapes that are maroon in color but look like a tight cluster of chili peppers based on their shape. They have thin skin and light, juicy flesh.
Fingerling Potatoes
Fingerling potatoes are a type of potato that are small, stubby, and finger-shaped, hence their name. They grow small and narrow, and their flavor is similar to that of other kinds of potatoes.
Fish
Fish are aquatic animals with gills, found in large bodies of water all across the world. There are hundreds of species of fish. Fish is eaten raw, such as in sushi, or cooked, and are a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids.
Fish Wort
Fish wort is an herb also known as fish mint due to its slightly fishy aroma. It grows in Southeast Asia and is used in Asian cuisine, often being cooked with fish to enhance the flavor.
Flageolet Beans
Flageolet beans are a common bean that originates from France. They are small, light green, and kidney-shaped, and picked before full maturity, and dried in the shade to retain their green color.
Flat Beans
Flat beans, also known as helda beans, and romano beans, and Italian flat beans, are edible pods that are flat in shape. They are cooked in their pods, similar to other green beans.
Flat Lemon
Flat lemons are small, round citrus fruits that grow in Taiwan and other parts of Japan. They are green in color and very sour, used primarily as a garnish or as a flavoring agent.
Flatfish
Flatfish is a type of marine fish that lays flat on the bottom of the ocean, hence its name. Halibut and sole are popular types of flatfish that are edible.
Flatwoods Plum
Flatwoods plum are trees with short, thickened trunks and a dense flat top. They have small fruits that are about 1 inch in diameter that can be used in cooking or to make jams.
Flax
Flax is a seed considered to be a rich source of plant-based protein and high in omega-3 fatty acids. They can be consumed whole or ground into a powder and used for cooking.
Florida Avocado
Florida avocados are large and pear-shaped, with bright green skin. The flesh stays firm and doesn’t mash as easily as other types of avocados, which makes them great for slicing or cubing.
Florina Pepper
Florina peppers are large red peppers that grow in Greece. They have a curved shape that looks similar to a cow’s horn and a sweet flavor. They can be eaten raw, roasted, or sauteed.
Flounder
Flounder is a type of flatfish that is a very popular type of white fish. They range from 20-70 pounds depending on habitat and species and have firm and tender flesh when cooked.
Fluted Pumpkin
Fluted pumpkin, also known as a fluted gourd, is a tropical leafy vegetable that grows in West Africa. Their seeds are edible and rich in protein, but the vegetable itself isn’t edible.
Fonzy Melon
Fonzy melons are small fruits in the melon family that are round with yellow skin and white flesh. They contain seeds in the center that are similar to that of honeydew melons, with a similar flavor.
Forelle Pear
Forelle pears have the standard bell shape of pears and are yellow-green, developing a pink blush as they ripen. They grow to be around 3 inches long and have a crisp and tangy flavor.
Forno Beets
Forno beets are a rare heirloom variety of European beets, noted for their elongated root. They are mild in flavor and are eaten raw, oven-baked, roasted, or braised.
Fowl
Fowl is another name for any bird that is hunted or farmed for its flesh and eggs. Chickens, turkeys, ducks, pheasant, and other game birds are considered fowl.
Fox Meat
Fox meat is eaten in certain parts of the world but isn’t as popular as other meats. Fox meat is tough and wild tasting, so it is best when marinated overnight to soften the meat, as well as enhance the flavor.
Fox Grape
Fox grapes are a type of wild American grapes. Concord grapes are derived from fox grapes and are used to make jam, wine, juice, and more. Fox grapes get their name for their “foxy” or earthy aroma.
Fox Nuts
Fox nuts are the small black seeds of the lotus plant that are used in popular Indian snacks and sweets. The seeds are processed to reveal the white puffs hidden inside the shell and are commonly roasted with ghee and other seasonings.
Framboise Apples
Framboise apples, also known as Violette apples, are a dark maroon color, similar to that of a raspberry. They have a small and oblong shape and are very juicy and firm, with a floral aroma.
Freckles Lettuce
Freckles lettuce is large, broad-leafed lettuce that has deep green leaves speckled with brown or burgundy, hence their name. They have a bitter flavor similar to Romaine lettuce.
Freekeh
Freekeh is a type of ancient grain harvested when the wheat grains are still immature and green. Freekeh durum wheat is an immature form of the grain that has been roasted and dried.
French Beans
French beans are a type of green bean, also known as string beans or snap beans. They are thin and no longer than 4 inches and can be eaten whole, with the pod, and either raw or cooked.
Fried Chicken Mushroom
Fried chicken mushroom is a type of mushroom named for its chewy, meaty texture some claim tastes just like chicken. They grow wild across North America and are very popular in Japan.
Frisee
Frisee is endive that is light yellow-green in a color that is brighter in the outer leaves and fades to a nearly white color at its core. It has a slightly bitter flavor when eaten raw, and sautéing can tone down the bitterness.
Frog Legs
Frog legs are popular in French cuisine and also in the southern United States. They are high in protein and healthy fats and taste like a cross between chicken and fish.
Fruit de Mer
Fruit de Mer is the French terminology for shellfish and describes any type of edible marine animal that isn’t a mammal or fish, including oysters, mussels, lobsters, crab, and squid.
Fucales
Fucales is an edible, marine brown algae. It is mostly eaten in coastal cities where it is easy to harvest and can be eaten fried, raw, or pickled. Fucales plants grow in various sizes, from small to large.
Fukushu Kumquat
Fukushu Kumquat is a small tree containing small, round fruit with seeds that is sweet and tart and is native to Eastern Asia, although some are now grown in North America.
Fugu Blowfish
Fugu blowfish is poisonous and deadly if not prepared by an expert chef who knows what they are doing. It is considered one of the most dangerous foods in the world and more deadly than cyanide unless prepared correctly.
Fuji Apple
Fuji apples are a popular variety of apples that are small to medium in size and have a waxy peeling in a pink blush color. The flesh is crisp and juicy with a sweet and tart flavor.
Fungi
Fungi include yeast, mold, and mushrooms. There are hundreds of editable varieties of mushrooms all around the world and can be used for medicinal purposes as well.
Fun Jen
Fun Jen is a type of Chinese cabbage with loose, bright yellow-green leaves popular in Taiwanese cuisine that is used mainly in salads, sandwiches, and soups.
Futsu Squash
Futsu squash is a type of squash native to Japan that is small in size. They can be eaten raw or cooked and have a sweet and mildly nutty flavor.
Fuyu Persimmon
Fuyu Persimmon is a type of fruit that is orange in color and does not contain a core, seeds, or tannins. It tastes sweet and has a gelatinous, jam-like texture.
Wrap Up
Now that you’ve read through this list of 51 foods that start with the letter “F,” it’s time to introduce some new foods to your dinner table. Which food item on this list are you curious to try?
