As you move further down the alphabet, it gets more difficult to find foods that start with certain letters. Foods that start with the letter V may be hard to come by, but we managed to pull together 51 foods that start with V.

Imagine finding foods that start with the letter X! Can you even think of one? Compared to that, foods with the letter V seems easy. From Venison to Vinegar, we’ll explore the different foods that start with V.

Vegetable oil and vanilla beans may be familiar staples, but what about vatapa, vetkoek? We’ll uncover foods that start with V from all over the world. How many have you tried?

51 Foods That Begin With The Letter V

In the following list we’ll explore meals and standalone foods that start with the letter V. How many have you heard of?

Vermouth

You may be wondering why I put alcohol on a list of foods? Alcohol is considered food because it provides sustenance to your body. Vermouth is a fortified wine, made with a variety of spices and herbs.

Vetkoek

Never heard of it? No worries. Vetkoek is a South African dinner or snack. It is fried bread filled with anything the chef might choose: tuna and mayo, minced meat, cheese, even syrup!

Veal

Veal is the meat from calves. It is different than beef because of the age of the animal when it is butchered. Veal usually comes from dairy calves, and is more expensive than beef.

Vermicelli

Vermicelli is a type of pasta, originating from Italy. It is very thin, with a diameter of less than 0.06 inches. By comparison, traditional spaghetti Is usually 0.06-0.11 inches. Vermicelli is similar to angel hair pasta (capellini).

Venison

Venison is the meat obtained from deer. Much like other meats, you can make venison into a variety of different things: steaks, ground meat, sausage, and jerky. Venison is high in protein, and low in cholesterol and fat.

Vatapá

Vatapa comes from the Brazilian state of Bahia. It is a stew made with a variety of different ingredients, depending on the chef. Always included in the stew are coconut milk, palm oil, and some kind of meat (chicken, salt cod, or shrimp).

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil is made mostly from extracted oil of soybeans. Other seed oils include sunflower, corn, coconut, peanut, and palm, among others. Vegetable oil is mainly used as an ingredient in baking or to coat pans to cook.

Velouté Sauce

Considered one of the ‘mother sauces’ of French cuisine, a velouté sauce is made from a roux and stock. The stock is usually chicken stock. This sauce consists of just 5 ingredients: butter, flour, stock, salt, and pepper.

Vodka

Vodka is a type of alcohol. It is usually made from rye, a type of grain. The grain is combined with water and then heated. Yeast is added, starting the fermentation process. Vodka originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden.

Vada Pav

Vada Pav is a popular street food in Mumbai, India. It consists of potato filling sandwiched between two burger buns. The key is to add chutney (Indian condiments/sauces) to the potato filling.

Vinegar

Vinegar is a solution of acetic acid in water. It is used in many different ways including cooking and baking, cleaning, and weed control. Did you know? Vinegar can also be used to keep cut flowers fresh.

Vanilla Beans

Vanilla beans are used to add flavor to beverages, ice cream, frosting, and many other desserts. It is grown from an orchid plant, Vanilla Planifolia. Harvesting the beans can take up to a year due to the process.

Vol-au-vent

Vol-au-vent is a French pastry. It can be filled with savory meats or fruit, making it a dinner meal or a dessert, depending on the filling. It typically consists of puff pastry dough that is hollowed out and then filled.

Vla

Vla is a Dutch custard-like dessert made from milk, cornstarch, eggs, sugar, and flavoring such as chocolate or vanilla. It was originally sold in a glass bottle, but now comes in cartons.

Vichyssoise

Vichyssoise is a French soup made with onions, pureed leeks, potatoes, broth, and cream. It is normally served cold, but can also be served hot. Its origin is attributed to Louis Diat, a Frenchman.

Velvet Beans

The Velvet Bean is a legume originating from China and India. It is used for food consumption as well as medicinal properties. Some of the medicinal properties include treating nervous disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

Vomiting Russula

Talk about a deceiving name! Vomiting Russula is a mushroom that, when properly prepared, has a nice peppery flavor. The unusual name comes from the fact that, if eaten raw, the mushroom will cause illness.

Viking Potatoes

Viking Potatoes are underground tubers that grow to medium size. They are found more commonly in small grocery stores and farms as opposed to commercial grocery stores. They can be used in baking, boiling, and frying.

Vezena Piperka

This chile pepper is originally from Eastern Europe. It can be dried and powdered to make paprika. It can also be cooked to add some spice to a dish, but is considered mild on the heat scale.

Vodka Sauce

As the name suggests, this sauce does contain alcohol! However, the reasoning is sound. Alcoholic beverages release certain flavors of the tomato that are otherwise unreachable. Wine is typically used in Italian cooking, but for this recipe it calls for vodka.

Variegated Banana

Variegated bananas are found in tropical climates. They are very rare, with unique stripes covering the leaves and fruit. This striping is due to a genetic mutation. These bananas can be eaten raw or cooked.

Valencia Orange

Valencia oranges are summer oranges. They are a great choice for juicing, and are considered one of the sweeter oranges. They were first hybridized in the mid-19^th century in California.

Verdolagas

Verdolagas is a leafy green used to flavor dishes. The entire plant can be consumed, and is often referred to as Mexican parsley. Verdolagas has a tangy and acidic flavor, and is used in salsas and tamales.

Vegemite

Vegemite is a popular spread in Australia. It is used in a variety of ways; spread on toast and crumpets, to flavor sandwiches, filling for pastries, and filling for baked goods.

Valencia Pride Mango

Unlike the Valencia Orange, this fruit was initially cultivated in Florida. It is a vigorously-growing fruit. If left unpruned, these fruits are capable of growing to incredible heights, some rumored to be around 50 feet.

Velvet Shanks

Velvet shanks are a type of mushroom. They are a favorite of wintertime foragers as they are capable of surviving cold weather and even freezing. Velvet shanks tend to have a sweet flavor.

Vark

Vark is one of the most interesting flares you can add to a dish. It’s made of a very thin sheet of pure metals, mostly silver or gold. It’s placed on South Asian rice dishes to make the dish appear more appealing to the eye.

Velveeta Cheese

Getting back to some basics. Velveeta cheese is named for its velvety texture. No matter what age you are, Velveeta cheese seems to bring up memories of childhood. It was invented by Emil Frey, a Swiss immigrant.

Varuval

Varuval is typically made with chicken, but can also be made with goat. It is a Malaysian specialty dish made with chilies and dry-fried chicken. It packs some heat, and is best served with rice.

Victoria Plums

A popular plum in the United Kingdom, the Victoria Plum is great for jams and pie fillings. Victoria plums tend to fall short on taste if bought from a grocery store due to the fact they are usually harvested too early.

Vindaloo

Like many Indian dishes, Vindaloo tends to pack the heat. This recipe can be meat-based or vegetarian. The ingredients include chilies, jalapeno, chickpeas, curry paste, and vinegar. When meat-based, it is usually cooked with pork or chicken.

Vegetable Biryani

Vegetable Biryani is known for its aromatic flavor. It is a vegetable dish made with assorted veggies such as potato, beans, carrots, mushrooms, and cauliflower. Add in spices, cashews, and mint, and you have a wonderful vegetarian dish.

Viennoiserie

Viennoiserie actually encompasses a variety of pastry including croissants and brioche bread. Wondering why I said pastry and not bread? In French cooking, the division between bakers and pastry chefs comes down to hot and cold materials.

Vatrushka

Vatrushka is a pastry with origins in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. It is a ring of dough with a dairy product called quark in the middle. Raisins and bits of fruit are sometimes also added.

Vitello Tonnato

Vitello Tonnato is served chilled or at room temperature. It consists of sliced veal that is then covered in a mayonnaise-like sauce. The sauce is creamy and flavored with tuna.

Vori Vori

Vori Vori is a soup often served in the colder months. It consists of small corn flour and cheese balls put in boiled soup. Why the repetition? The dish originates from the Guarani language (Paraguay), where repetition specifies abundance.

Velvet Tamarind Fruit

The velvet tamarind grows in tropical climates. The fruit is grape-sized, and has an inedible brown shell. To get to the fruit you must first crack and discard the shell.

Vada

We’ve talked about Vada Pav, but what about just Vada? The food still comes from South India, but is served for breakfast and as a snack. It is a disc-shaped fitter that looks similar to a doughnut.

Veggie Burger

A veggie burger is a vegetarian alternative to the typical meat-based burger. The patty is made from soybeans, tofu, nuts, grains, seeds or mushrooms. It still has all your favorite condiments and is sandwiched between two buns.

Vanaspati

Vanaspati is a South Asian hydrogenated vegetable oil used for cooking. It is used as an alternative to butter and ghee, a clarified butter. DALDA is the leading brand name for Vanaspati in Indian markets.

Vienna Sausage

Vienna Sausages were created during wartime out of necessity. They are made from beef and pork and stored in chicken broth. The broth and other ingredients such as sodium nitrite give these sausages a long shelf life.

Valerian Tea

Valerian tea is made from the roots and stems of the valerian plant. It has a number of benefits including decreased stress and improved sleep, which seem to go hand in hand.

Vegetable Soup

As you might have guessed, the main ingredient in this soup is vegetables. The ingredients vary widely, but typically contain vegetables, leafy greens, mushrooms, and roots. Some are creamy, others are stock-based.

Victoria Spongecake

This airy dessert consists of two layers and is filled with a layer of jam and whipped cream. It is typically served at teatime and is cut into single-serve ‘sandwiches.’

Vanilla

Vanilla is a flavoring that comes from vanilla beans. It comes from the vanilla orchid, which originated in Mexico. After the beans are harvested, they are traditionally placed on blankets and straw mats and baked in the oven.

Varenyky

Varenyky is a Ukranian boiled dumpling. They are traditionally stuffed with potatoes and cheese, but can be filled with any type of filling. They are similar to perogies and pot stickers.

Veggie Straws

Veggie straws are a type of chip that are shaped like French fries. They aren’t actually hydrogenated vegetables, but are made from potato flour, sunflower oil, and corn starch mixed with several other ingredients.

Vegetables

We’ve talked about veggie burgers, veggie straws, but what about plain old vegetables? Vegetables are the edible portion of the plant, as opposed to fruits which are the mature ovary of a plant.

Vermont’s Cheddar Cheese

Vermont cheddar cheese has a distinctly sharp and bitter taste compared to other cheeses. Did you know? The flavor of regional cheeses can be influenced by the minerals in the soil of that area.

Verjuice

Verjuice is made from unripe grapes or other sour fruits such as crab apples. It can be a substitute for any dish that needs lemon juice or vinegar, and was created to fill a void when citruses weren’t available year-round.

Vincotto

Vincotto is a thick and syrupy topping best drizzled over dishes, fresh cheese, or fruits. It is a cooked wine made from unfermented grapes and then simmered into a thick condiment.

Wrap Up

There you have it: 51 foods that begin with the letter V! From Italy to India, Ukraine to the United Kingdom, dishes that start with the letter V can be found all over the world. Try a new recipe today!