Announcing 50+ Unique Food That Start With N

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Are you into arts and crafts? How about food arts and crafts? Er… something like that. Anyway, there comes a time when you’re either playing an alphabet game or coming up with a craft for a letter of the alphabet and you come upon a stumbling block. OR MAYBE you’re doing a crossword puzzle or you’re a student who is learning English and you’re looking for food that start with n in English. Well, if you’re experiencing any of these things (or something similar… or you’re just curious), here is a list of names of food that start with N. But first, let’s begin with some frequently asked questions regarding foods that start with the letter n.

(There are affiliate links in this post.  Read my disclosure policy to learn more.)

Food That Start With N FAQs 

We’ll go into more detail later in the article, but here are just a few answers to some frequently asked questions related to some food that start with the letter N.

What food or fruit starts with N?

Here is a list of fruit that start with the letter n:

• Naartjie fruit 
• Nagami kumquat
• Nance fruit
• Naranjilla 
• Nashi pear 
• Natal plum
• Naval orange
• Nectarine
• Nellikai 
• Nonda plum
• Nutmeg melon

What healthy foods start with N?

Here is a list of healthy foods that start with n:

• Naartjie fruit 
• Nagami kumquat
• Nance fruit
• Napa cabbage
• Naranjilla 
• Nashi pear 
• Natal plum
• Natto
• Naval orange
• Nectarine
• Neeps
• Nellikai 
• New Zealand spinach
• Nigella seeds
• Nonda plum
• Nopales
• Nori
• Nutmeg
• Nutmeg melon
• Nuts

What fruit or vegetable begins with n?

Here you will find a list of fruits and vegetables that begin with the letter n:

Fruit beginning with n:

• Naartjie fruit 
• Nagami kumquat
• Nance fruit
• Naranjilla 
• Nashi pear 
• Natal plum
• Naval orange
• Nectarine
• Nellikai 
• Nonda plum
• Nutmeg melon

Vegetables that start with n:

• Napa cabbage
• Neeps
• New Zealand spinach
• Nopales

What’s a vegetable that starts with N?

Here is a list of vegetables that start with n:

• Napa cabbage
• Neeps
• New Zealand spinach
• Nopales

 

List of Popular North American Food that Start with N

 

And now for what you’ve been waiting for! We’ll start first with a list of popular food in North America beginning with n:

• Navajo tacos
• Navel oranges
• Navy beans
• Nectar
• Nectarine
• Neopolitan ice cream
• Nerds candies
• New England clam chowder
• New York cheesecake
• Nuggets
• Nutmeg
• Nutmeg melon
• Nuts

Wait, so you’ve never heard of a Navajo taco? I have to admit that I hadn’t until recently. Here’s some information for you:

Navajo taco

Navajo tacos, which originated from the Navajo Native American tribe in the United States, are kind of like what you think of when you envision Mexican tacos. However, the difference is that the outer shell is made of Indian flatbread instead of a hard taco shell (or soft tortilla taco shell). 

Here, this is what I mean. Check out this video by emmymade:

Doesn’t that look SO GREAT??

Now, if you’re interested in learning more about the history of the Navajo taco, you can read more about it in the Navajo Times.

 

List of Asian Food That Start With N

 

Naan bread

Naan is a type of leavened flatbread that is very common in Indian cuisines. It’s also very common in Indonesia, Myanmar, Western Asia, and Central Asia.

Naan is SUPER delicious… I love it.

 

Nashi pear 

Ok, so I’m actually more familiar with the term “Asian pear” (this is how my Asian friends introduced it to me when I was in college).

And, let me tell you, this fruit is SOOOOOOO delicious!

To me, a  nashi pear is the shape of a LARGE apple, but the texture is that of a pear.

You can eat them as is or you can even cook with them!

There are many dishes in Korean cuisine that call for a nashi pear. For example, you can use a nashi pear as a component of Korean beef bulgogi (SO YUMMY).

Nasi goreng

This is a fried rice dish that many people eat in Southeast Asia. People often cook it with meat pieces and vegetables.

Interestingly, nasi goreng is considered one of Indonesia’s 5 national dishes!

Take a look at the video below by Youtuber Mark Wiens to see why so many people love this dish:

 

Natto 

I can remember the first time I heard of natto. My brother was stationed in Japan with the military. I remember thinking, wait, people actually eat that? Is it safe?

It definitely is because lots of people eat it every day (mostly for breakfast)!

So, natto is a traditional Japanese dish made of fermented soybeans. Thus, it has a very strong smell and a slimy texture. It’s definitely an acquired taste for many people.

 

Naartjie fruit

Naartjie is a citrus fruit that originated in either China or Japan. It’s often the size of mandarin oranges, very sweet, often seedless, and easy to peel.

 

Naengmyeon

Naengmyeon is the South Korean name of a popular Korean noodle dish. People in North Korea call this dish raengmyŏn.

The noodles are made with wheat flour and buckwheat flour which leaves a chewy texture when you eat it.

Interestingly, you eat naengmyeon COLD, not hot like other noodle dishes!

Some of the ingredients that people often include in this Korean noodle dish are the following:

• Sliced cucumbers
• Korean pear (also known as an Asian pear or the Nashi pear)
• Pickled radish
• Boiled egg
• Cold cooked beef
• Gochujang hot pepper paste (SUPER common in Korean cuisine)

Check out this video by very popular Korean food YouTuber Maangchi:

 

Namak para

Other names for this VERY POPULAR Indian snack are Nimki, nimkin, or namkin.  It’s basically strips of pastry that are seasoned with ajwain and cumin seeds.

This Indian snack is super easy to make and only takes about 30 minutes!

Take a look!

 

Nankhatai

Nankhatai is Indian shortbread biscuits. They’re made with chickpea flour, semolina, and refined flour.

Napa cabbage

This type of cabbage is very popular in Asian cuisine (especially in Korea, China, and Japan). Sometimes people call this a Chinese cabbage or celery cabbage.

Unlike the cabbage we normally use here in the United States, napa cabbage is oval-shaped (kind of like Romaine lettuce).

Do you like Korean kimchi? Napa cabbage is used to make kimchi!

 

Nata de coco

Nata de coco is a Filipino candy or dessert dish that’s often marketed as coconut gel. Interestingly, it’s made from fermented coconut water.

You can either eat this by itself or you can eat it with fruit salads, bubble teas, or halo-halo (SUPER POPULAR Filipino dessert).

Here’s an example video showing you how to use nata de coco to make a fruit salad. This video is done by YouTuber The Cooking Pinay:

 

Navratan korma

The literal translation for navratan korma is nine-gem curry. It’s an Indian vegetarian vegetable curry dish. It’s made with mixed vegetables and, interestingly, some dried fruit and nuts, too.

In case you’re interested in making it, here’s a recipe by Dassana’s Veg Recipes. 

 

Nellikai

Nellikai is a kind of gooseberry found in South Asia. It has a sort of sweet and sour taste.

 

Neyyappam

Neyyappam is an Indian rice-based fritter that’s very sweet and fried in ghee. Many people in India like to eat it with their evening tea.

 

Nigella seeds

These seeds are also known as black caraway, black cumin, or kalonji seeds. Here in the United States, they’re generally used for spices, flavoring, and seasonings.

Nigella seeds are very common in Bengali cuisine for recipes such as naan. People also use nigella seeds in Middle East recipes such as majdouleh or majdouli.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to cook these seeds, you can click here. 

 

Nigiri 

Nigiri is a Japanese food that’s made with vinegar rice and raw fish. However, it’s different from sushi because it does not contain seaweed.

AND nigiri is not rolled. It’s simply raw fish (very high-quality fish) placed on a bit of vinegar rice. 

Some of the most common types of fish used in nigiri are salmon, bluefin tuna, and halibut.

Nihari 

Nihari is an Indian stew. It consists of slow-cooked lamb, goat, beef, or chicken and it’s flavored with Indian long pepper, which is similar to black pepper.

 

Nikujaga

Nikujaga is Japanese meat (mostly thinly sliced) and potato stew that’s flavored with soy sauce and mirin. 

Many people say that this stew is actually influenced by western cuisine.

Also, most Japanese households cook this meal for their families during the wintertime when it’s very cold out. They’ll serve nikujaga with a bowl of rice and miso soup.

Luckily for us, it’s not too difficult to make!

Take a look at the video below by Kimono Mom for reference on how to make it.

By the way, her daughter is SUPER DUPER adorable. This video really shows what it’s like to cook with a little one in the kitchen.

 

 

Nilaga 

Nilaga is another meat and potato soup, but this one is from the Philippines. It’s made with boiled beef or pork and vegetables.

Similar to the Japanese Nikujaga, this soup is also made with soy sauce and served with white rice.

However, one of the main differences is that Filipinos use patis (fish sauce) as well as chilis and Philippine limes called calamansi.

 

Nipa

Nipa is a type of palm that people commonly use in South Asia.

In the Philippines and Malaysia, for example, people use the sap found in the flower clusters to make alcoholic beverages. Also, the immature fruits can be used as an ingredient in desserts.

In addition, in some countries, people will use nipa leaves to wrap cakes or desserts.

 

Nippattu

So, nippattu is basically Indian deep-fried crispy rice crackers. Most people in India eat them as a snack.

Although each family and region makes them differently, some of the basic ingredients are as follows:

• Rice flour
• Roasted peanuts
• Dried coconut
• Fried or roasted gram
• Curry leaves

 

Noon Chai 

Ok, let me give you a hint.

Noon, in many Indian languages, means “salt”. So, noon chai is actually a SALT tea.

For your information, other names for noon chai include:

• Phir chai
• Gulabi chai, 
• Pink tea
• Kashmiri tea

Traditionally, noon chai tea is made with green tea leaves, milk, baking soda (to give it the pink color), and salt.

Yes, you read that right. Again, this tea uses SALT instead of SUGAR!

It’s actually quite interesting.

To get a better understanding, check out the EXCELLENT Youtube video below by Rajshri Food.

 

 

Nori 

Nori is a dried edible seaweed sheet that is used in MANY asian recipes.

In fact, many people use nori to make sushi rolls and Japanese onigiri, which is very similar to Korean rice balls.

(I’ve used nori in my Korean rice balls recipes. SUPER yummy).

 

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• List of 50+ Unique Food That Start With T
• 27 Interesting Food Starting With X

List of Hispanic or Latin American Food that Start with N

 

Natilla

Natilla can be so many things depending on the country. For example, in Costa Rica, it’s a kind of cream that we put on top of our gallo pinto (Costa Rican black beans and rice). 

However, in Colombia, natilla is a Christmas dish that people eat with buñuelos (round cheese fritters) and manjar blanco (also known as dulce de leche).

In Spain, natillas is a custard dessert. The basic ingredients include the following:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Sugar
• Vanilla
• Cinnamon

Peru’s natilla is similar to Spain’s. The difference is that Peru’s natilla is thicker and it is not made with eggs.

Mexico’s natilla is also similar, except it more resembles the consistency of atole (a SUPER DELICIOUS thick drink made with masa harina – dried cornflour that was soaked in a lime solution).

Cuban natilla is also a custard dessert and it’s normally made and served during Christmas time. These are the typical ingredients for Cuban custard:

• Cornstarch
• Evaporated milk
• Eggs
• Vanilla
• Sugar
• Lemon peel
• Cinnamon

Interestingly, there are two versions of natilla in Puerto Rico. The first kind of natilla is cooked on the stovetop and is served for breakfast. Puerto Ricans normally eat it either hot or cold and they often eat it with honey (maybe some sugar), sugar, and nuts.

The other kind of Puerto Rican natilla is served during Christmas time. It’s baked and resembles a crème brûlée.

The typical ingredients for both Puerto Rican natilla versions include the following:

• Milk
• Cornstarch
• Coconut cream
• Egg yolks
• Vanilla
• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Zest
• Orange blossom water

 

Nachos

Although often mistaken for being Mexican food, nachos are actually a Tex-Mex food (Texas and Mexico).

Nachos consist of tortilla chips topped with hot, melted cheese (or cheese sauce) and other ingredients. The ingredients normally include meat, vegetables, and salsas (I love guacamole on my nachos).

Here are some common meat toppings:

• Shredded chicken
• Shredded beef
• Ground beef

These are some possible vegetable toppings

• Shredded lettuce
• Black olives
• Tomatoes
• Corn
• Avocado (This actually considered a fruit)

 

Nacatamal 

So, even though this is a traditional Nicaraguan food, the first time I had it was when I was in Costa Rica (makes sense since there are so many Nicaraguans who live in Costa Rica).

This delicious dish is not like the Mexican tamale that many of my fellow Southern Californians think of. To me, the Nicaraguan nacatamal is similar to the Costa Rican tamales.

It’s made with corn masa dough and lard and is wrapped and cooked in large plantain or banana leaves. 

Nacatamal fillings often include any (or all) of the following ingredients:

• Seasoned pork meat
• Rice
• Chile congo
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Bell peppers
• Onions
• Olives
• Spearmint
• Raisins
• Prunes
• Capers 

 

Nance fruit

Nance is a tropical fruit that resembles a golden cherry and grows all throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. 

Depending on the country, people have different names for this fruit. Check out the list below to see what I’m talking about:

• Anche (certain parts of Mexico)
• Yaca (Colombia)
• Nancite (Nicaragua)
• Hogberry (Jamaica).

People often eat nance fruits either raw or cooked to make desserts. For example, Panama has a very popular dessert called pesada de nance.

It’s like a yellow cherry pudding.

These are the common ingredients for pesada de nance:

• Nance
• Water
• Flour or cornstarch
• Sugar

You can find a recipe for it by Panama Tropic here. (There’s a YouTube recipe video included on the page).

 

Naranjilla

Naranjilla means little orange in Spanish. This fruit is found in Central and South America.

More specifically, this fruit is known as naranjilla in Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama. It’s called lulo in Colombia. 

However, unlike a regular orange, the juice from the naranjilla is green and the taste is said to be similar to rhubarb and lime.

Interesting, right?

 

Niños envueltos

Niños envueltos, in English, literally means kids that are wrapped up. This dish is very popular in the following countries:

• Argentina
• Dominican Republic
• Chile
• Uruguay

Although each country makes their niños envueltos a different way, it generally consists of thinly sliced beef and rice wrapped in a covering, like cabbage. 

In addition, it’s often covered in a sort of tomato sauce.

 

Nopales 

Ok, so even though I grew up in southern California and saw nopales all the time, I actually did not try nopales until my freshman year of college. 

My Mexican roommate invited me over to her parents’ house one day and we had nopales in our scrambled eggs for breakfast the next morning.

Nopales are basically the flat part of a cactus’ “leaves” and nopales are SUPER POPULAR in Mexican cuisine.

[In English, people call them prickly pear cactus.]

 

Health Benefits of Nopales

The good thing about nopales is that they are incredibly healthy for you! In fact, there is debate about whether to call it a superfood.

Some of the health benefits of nopales (or prickly pear cactus) include the following information found from the Mayo Clinic:

• High in fiber
• Decreases blood sugar levels for those who are type 2 diabetic
• High in antioxidants
• It can decrease the effects of a hangover
• High in carotenoids
• Can help treat high cholesterol
• It can help treat obesity

 

How Do You Eat Nopales?

You can either take the prickly thorns off the cactus yourself or many times you can buy them with the thorns already taken off.

Also, you normally cook nopales and you can cut them up and eat them in salads, soups, and eggs, and you can even eat them by themselves as a sort of vegetable side.

I like to buy nopales already in a jar and I usually eat them with my scrambled eggs.

If you’re interested in buying nopales, you can sometimes find them in the Hispanic foods section of your local supermarket. Also, you can (THANK GOODNESS) find them online on Amazon.

I normally buy the Doña María brand.

 

List of European Food That Start With N

 

Nantua sauce

Nantua sauce is a French sauce that is named after the city called Nantua. People serve it with pike dumplings called quenelles de brochet.

Not sure if you know this or not, but many people recognize the city of Nantua for its crayfish. Thus, crayfish is the main component of this sauce! 

Here are the main ingredients:

• Crayfish tails
• Crayfish butter
• Cream
• Béchamel sauce base

 

Navette

So, the literal translation of the French word navette in English is “shuttle”. It’s a cookie that’s shaped like a cylinder and is made with the following basic ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Sugar
• Eggs

Some people like to also add orange zest or aniseed for extra flavoring.

 

Neep

A neep is a Scottish turnip. Other names for them are rutabaga, Swedish turnip, wede, yellow turnip, and Tuwīti tānapu.

 

Neufchatel cheese

This is a soft and slightly crumbly cheese that’s made in Normandy. It’s got a grainy texture and is one of the oldest cheeses in France.

 

Niçoise salad

This type of salad is becoming very common here in the United States. It originated in a city in France called Nice that’s made with the following ingredients:

• Hard-boiled eggs
• Tomatoes
• Tuna
• Niçoise olives
• Anchovies or tuna
• Olive oil or vinaigrette

Interestingly, there have been many famous chefs who have developed their own versions of this popular salad. These chefs include Gordan Ramsey, Anthony Bourdain, Tyler Florence, Martha Stewart, and other notable chefs.

 

Nocciole

Nocciole is the Italian word for hazelnuts. There are so many Italian desserts and pastries that call for this ingredient, but arguably one of the most popular is the Torta di nocciole (hazelnuts cake).

 

Nocciolini di Chivasso

I have NO PROBLEM saying Italian cookies are some of my FAVORITE in the whole wide world!!!

Nicciolini di chivasso is one type of famous Italian cookie. They’re small round cookies made primarily of sugar and eggs (meringue) and hazelnuts.

Also, as the name implies, these cookies come from Chivasso, which is a town in Italy.

 

Nonpareils

I had often seen these in ice cream parlors and on certain cookies but did not know what they were until recently.

Nonpareils are teeny tiny balls made of sugar and starch. Actually, they look like sprinkles but are round instead of elongated.

The origins of these yummy decorative desserts are unknown, but the French name means without equal. 

In case you were unaware of this, Nestlé actually makes a chocolate cookie made with nonpareils called Sno-Caps.

You can find them on Amazon by clicking here.

[FYI, nonpareils can also refer to a chocolate drop that’s coated with nonpareils.]

By the way, do you like milk chocolate?

If so, you can actually buy a WHOLE TUB of chocolate nonpareils from Amazon to snack on or to use in baking!

HERE is the link to the milk chocolate version and HERE is the link to the white chocolate version.

Norman Tart 

As the name implies, a Norman tart is a tart from Normandy, France. More specifically, it’s a shortbread pastry that’s generally made with sugar, sliced apples, and sliced almonds. It’s also topped with a creamy egg custard and baked.

 

Nougatine

Nougatine is a French word for something similar to what we know in the United States as brittle (like peanut brittle… YUMMY).

However, this French version is made of almonds that are placed in a caramel-like sauce, then hardened and broken into pieces.

According to Baking like Chef, Nougatine only takes about 15 minutes to make and it is SO simple, too!

Their recipe only requires four easy ingredients. Interested? I encourage you to check it out!

 

Nutella

Ok, so I have a confession to make.

I am a nutella-holic!!

Seriously, though, I love this stuff soooo much! (I can’t be alone in this).

So, nutella is a chocoloate-hazelnut spread that originated in Italy.

I love eating nutella on toast (or on Nilla wafer cookies), but there are so many ways to eat this extremely delicious spread. Here are just a few different ways:

• Straight out of the jar! (It’s THAT good… but definitely not healthy because of the amount of sugar in it)
• Toast
• Nilla wafer cookies
• Graham crackers
• Sliced apples
• Banana and nutella sandwich
• Strawberries
• Ice cream
• Waffles or pancakes
• Crepes

 

Middle Eastern Food List of Food Beginning with N

 

Nargesi 

Nargesi is a type of Iranian spinach omelet. It’s made with eggs, spinach, onions, salt, pepper, and garlic.

 

Nokhod Polo

Nokhod polo is a Persion dill and pea rice and it’s made primarily of basmati rice, saffron,dill, and peas. 

In case you’re curious, this rice dish goes well with just about any Persian main dish meal including saffron chicken, vegetable stew, or lamb shanks.

 

Nan-e nokhodchi 

Nan-e nokhodchi are Persian chickpea cookies. 

(Another name for them is Shirini nokhodchi).

These cookies are not very difficult to make and they mainly consist of these ingredients: chickpea flour, rose water, cardamom, and pistachio.

The fun thing about these cookies is that people like to form them into different shapes such as clovers, diamonds, hearts, or squares.

 

Nougat

Nougat is originally a Persian confection that’s made with sugar (or honey), egg whites, nuts, and sometimes chopped fruit.

It’s got a chewy texture and is known as turrón in many Spanish-speaking countries.

 

List of African Food That Start With N

 

Ndolé 

Ndolé is a dish from Cameroon. It’s made of fish or beef, stewed nuts, and bitter leaves that are called ndoleh.  

 

Nigerian fried rice

Do you like fried rice? I’m a HUGE fan of fried rice. However, did you know that there is a Nigerian fried rice version? It’s definitely different from the fried rice dishes you order at a Chinese restaurant.

Nigerian fried rice is made of mixed vegetables (such as peas, corn, carrots, green beans), spices, and meat.

One of the main differences between Asian fried rice and Nigerian fried rice is that one of the main flavoring ingredients of Asian fried rice is soy sauce while the main flavoring ingredient in Nigerian fried rice is curry powder.

In case you’re interested in trying a Nigerian fried rice recipe, Chef Lola’s Kitchen offers a great one 😉

 

Nkwobi 

Nkwobi is a spicy Nigerian dish made of cow feet. Lots of Nigerians enjoy this meal when eating out with family and friends.

 

Nshima

Nshima is a very thick cornmeal porridge that people make in Zambia, Africa. You eat it with your hands and what you’re supposed to do is break it off into pieces and use it to supplement whatever else you’re eating on your plate.

Check out this article by The Tortoise Table for more information.

 

List of Oceania Food Beginning With N

 

New Zealand spinach

The New Zealand spinach is a leafy vegetable that’s found in not only New Zealand but also in Australia and Eastern Asia.

Many New Zealanders first blanch the spinach (because of the high levels of oxalic acid) and then use it for salads, soups, omelets, and even pasta (basically, it can be eaten the same way we eat regular spinach here in the United States).

 

Nonda plum

Ok, so we’re finally at the final example of food that start with n!

The nonda plum is a fruit that’s found in Northern Australia and New Guinea. It’s typically yellow-orange in color and people say it tastes like a baked potato.

Unfortunately, I’ve never had one before, so I can’t exactly tell you whether that’s true, haha.

 

Final Thoughts on Names of Food That Start With N Around the World

Well, I hope you enjoyed this complete guide to 50+ different foods beginning with the letter n.

Did I miss any? If so, please let me know in the comments below!