Announcing 30+ Unique Food That Start With Y

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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 y 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 Y. But first, let’s begin with some frequently asked questions regarding foods that start with the letter Y.

 

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List of Food That Start With Y 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 Y.

(You’ll learn more about these examples of food that start with y later down the page).

 

What is a snack that starts with y?

Here is a list of snacks that start with y from around the world:

• Yogurt
• Yogurt Muffins
• Yogurt Toast
• Yali Pear
• Yellow Apples
• Yodels
• Yakult
• Yokan
• Youtiao
• Yemas de Santa Teresa

 

What is a fruit that starts with y?

There are lots of examples of fruit that start with y from all over the world. These are just some of them:

• Yellow Apples
• Yali Pear
• Yuzu
• Yangmei
• Yellow Mombin
• Yellow Sapote
• Youngberry

 

What is a breakfast food that starts with y?

It may be hard to think of breakfast food that starts with y, but here is a start for you:

• Yogurt
• Yogurt muffins
• Yogurt toast
• Youtiao

 

What is a Thanksgiving food that starts with y?

Are you having a hard time coming up with Thanksgiving food that starts with y? Well, if that’s the case, here’s a list of y foods that are good for Thanksgiving:

• Yam
• Yukon Gold Potatoes
• Yellow apples
• Yogurt muffins
• Yokan
• Yuca
• Yorkshire pudding
• Yautía
• Yacón
• Yemas de Santa Teresa
• Yemas
• Yakhni
• Yakhnet Sabanegh
• Yellow beets

Maybe? What do you think?

What is an example of healthy food that starts with y?

So, you’re looking for a list of healthy food that starts with y? Well, here you go:

• Yam
• Yellow beets
• Yali pear
• Yuzu
• Yangmei
• Yongchak
• Yu Choy
• Yamaimo
• Yacón
• Yellow Mombin
• Yellow Sapote
• Yassa
• Youngberries
• Yellow beets

 

What are some desserts that start with y?

Don’t we all love desserts? Ok, not all of us, but there comes a time when you’ll need a list of desserts that start with y, right? Well, then this list of y desserts from around the world is for you:

• Yogurt muffins
• Yodels
• Yokan
• Youtiao
• Yemas de Santa Teresa
• Yemas

 

Related Articles:

 

• List of More than 50 Food That Start With N
• 50+ Unique Foods That Begin with W
• List of More Than 50 Food That Start With T
• List of 27 Food Starting With The Letter X

 

 

List of Popular North American Food That Start With Y 

 

1. Yellowfin Tuna

So, the Yellowfin tuna is just one kind of North American food that start with y. Yellowfin tuna is a type of tuna that’s found in waters all over the world, but specifically in tropical and subtropical oceans.

[In case you are not aware of this, another name for yellowfin tuna is ahi.]

In Hawaii, specifically, people enjoy eating yellowfin tuna raw such as for sashimi dishes. However, people also enjoy grilling yellowfin tuna. 

 

 

2. Yukon Gold Potatoes

These potatoes are a kind of crossbred potato that many people can characterize by their smooth, thin skin and yellow flesh.

Yukon gold potatoes were developed by Garnet “Gary” Johnston in Ontario, Canada in the 1960s. However, he began selling these potatoes to the public a couple of decades later in the 1980s.

So, why do people choose to cook Yukon gold potatoes over other types of potatoes?

Well, many people enjoy cooking with Yukon gold potatoes because they cook well in dry heat as well as boiling water. You can’t say that about all potatoes.

 

3. Yellow Apples

There are several kinds of apples that have yellow skin (or yellow-green skin). Some have been around for decades, and even centuries, while others are fairly new. Here is a list of yellow apples for you:

• Golden Delicious
• Rhode Island Greening
• Crispin
• Newtown Pippin
• Jonagold
• Gingergold
• Blondee
• Silken
• Golden Supreme
• Criterion 

 

4. Yali Pear

The yali pear is a type of Asian pear. More specifically, it’s native to China and Japan. However, the name is actually Chinese and it literally means “duck pear” (duck is “ya” and pear is “li”).

So, how do you distinguish yali pears apart from other kinds of Asian pears?

Well, Yali pears have the typical pear shape, where it’s wider toward the bottom and then the shape gradually thins out toward the top (unlike the nashi pear which is completely round).

If you’re interested in tasting a yali pear, you can order it from Melissa’s. 

 

5. Yogurt Muffins

So, yogurt muffins are similar to your typical muffins, except people use yogurt in place of other ingredients as a healthier alternative (sometimes).

For example, in some recipes, you can use yogurt in place of vegetable oil. However, some bakers use yogurt simply to change the texture and taste.

[The yogurt in yogurt muffins usually causes the muffin to be more smooth and moist than typical dry muffins.]

Interested?

Take a look at the video below by Laura in the Kitchen for a YUMMY yogurt muffin recipe:

 

 

Other Popular Baked Yogurt Pastries

Oh, so while we’re talking about yogurt pastries, have you tried yogurt cake? How about a yogurt toast recipe? Yogurt toast is super popular on TikTok right now and has even gone viral!

[Just an FYI, another name for yogurt toast that you may have heard is custard toast].

Check out the video below by emmymade for a recipe for TikTok Greek yogurt toast (or custard toast): 

 

 

(By the way, she has a GREAT tip in the video on how to keep your berries fresh. I recommend you watch it!).

 

6. Yodels

In case you are unfamiliar with these, yodels are a kind of devil’s food cake (chocolate) that’s filled with cream.

They are very similar to Ho Hos and Little Debbie’s Swiss Cake Rolls, which are made by Hostess Brand (Yodels are made by Drake’s).

Note that if you grew up on the West Coast, like me, there is a chance that you never heard of them. The reason for this is that these cakes are popular on the East Coast of the United States.

Interested?

Lucky for you, Yodels are available for purchase on Amazon.

 

 

List of Common and Uncommon Asian Food That Start With Y

 

1. Yakult

My friend and roommate used to have Yakult in our shared refrigerator ALL THE TIME! 

I used to love it, though, because she wanted me to drink them before they went bad. I had no problem doing this because they taste so good!

So, Yakult is a Japanese yogurt drink. They’re served in either little 65 mL or 100 mL containers… the perfect serving size, in my opinion. 

It’s just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Anyway, these are the ingredients in a Yakult:

• Water
• Skimmed milk
• Glucose-fructose syrup
• Sucrose
• Live Lactobacillus casei Shirota bacteria

 

2. Yakitori

So, yakitori is a kind of Japanese skewered chicken that people grill over a charcoal fire. 

After it’s done cooking, people typically season it with tare sauce (which is normally made with soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar) or salt.

 

3. Yuzu

This is a citrus fruit that’s grown in East Asia and it looks like a grapefruit with bumpy skin.

However, in Japan, people don’t eat yuzu raw. Instead, they usually use the zest and juice in the cooking process to give their food more flavor… sort of how we use lemons here in the United States to give flavor to whatever food is on our plates.

 

4. Yakisoba

The word yakisoba means “fried noodle” in Japanese. It’s basically a noodle stir-fry dish that people make using noodles, pieces of pork, and vegetables such as bean sprouts, onions, carrots, and cabbage.

After it’s done cooking, people normally flavor it with Yakisoba sauce, which, if you’re interested, you can easily order on Amazon.

Also, I wanted to point out that people usually serve this dish as a main course or a side dish.

OR… they can serve it in a Yakisoba Pan… AKA Yakisoba dog. 

Never heard of this? It’s Yakisoba on a hotdog bun! 

You can think of it as a Japanese noodle sandwich! Yummy!!!

Here, take a look at the video below by TobiEats to learn more:

 

 

5. Yangmei

This is the Chinese name of a fruit that is grown and cultivated in Asia. 

It has a purplish-reddish color and is round like a berry (although it’s not a berry but is more closely related to the cherry family).

Other names for it include:

• Chinese strawberry
• Chinese bayberry
• Japanese bayberry
• Red bayberry
• Yamamomo (Japanese meaning mountain peach)
• Waxberry
• Yumberry
• Chinese strawberry

People normally eat this fruit raw, canned, or can consume it in alcoholic beverages.

Interested in learning more? Well, then check out this video below by Weird Explorer:

 

 

6. Yongchak

Yongchak is a kind of bean that, to me, resemble peas in a pod. Another very common name for this bean is stink bean because it has a sort of unique smell to it.

So, other common names for this bean include:

• Petai
• Peteh
• Sator
• Parkia
• Yongchak beans
• Tree bean
• Bitter bean

FYI, this vegetable is a common ingredient in food dishes in the following countries:

• Indonesia 
• Brunei
• Southern Thailand
• Singapore
• Malaysia
• Northeastern India

Also, in case you were not already aware, it is very common to see this fruit in stir-fry dishes.

 

7. Yu Choy

Have you heard of yu choy? In case you haven’t, it’s a leafy vegetable that’s very common in Chinese cuisine and it is very common in stir-fry dishes, in particular. Another name for it is choy sum.

 

8. Yamaimo

Many people know yamaimo as the Japanese mountain yam. However, the Chinese name for this vegetable is Yěshān yào, while the Korean name is cham ma or dang ma.

Yamaimo has a slippery texture, which slides down the throat very easily (which is why people in Japan normally eat yamaimo raw). 

Actually, many people eat yamaimo grated in miso soup or over soba noodles.

It’s actually SO crazy to see grated yamaimo in action! It’s SOOOO slimy!  Want to see it?

Although the person in this video uses nagaimo, it’s SUPER similar to yamaimo and she does a GREAT job of explaining the differences.

Take a look at the video below by emmymade to see what I mean. It’s SUPER interesting (in my opinion):

 

 

9. Yokan

Ok, so yokan is a type of Japanese confection that’s made primarily of red bean paste and sugar. You can think of it as a bean jelly 😀

People normally eat yokan as a dessert or snack paired alongside green tea. It’s SUPER DUPER popular!

To eat it, people normally slice it into small pieces and you can eat it with a small spoon.

 

10. Youtiao

In case you have never heard of this before, youtiao is a kind of Chinese pastry (although not a sweet pastry) that people in China normally eat at breakfast with rice congee or soy milk.

Other colloquial names for this bread include:

• Chinese fried churro
• Chinese cruller
• Chinese doughnut 
• Chinese breadstick
• Chopstick cake

Actually, there are several names for youtiao depending on the country. Take a look at the list below to see what I mean:

• China: yóutiáo, guǒzi, iû-chiā-kóe, yàuhjagwái 
• Cambodia: cha kway
• Indonesia: cakwe
• Laos: kao nom kou, patongko
• Malaysia: cakoi
• Singapore: yu char kway (In Singapore, they often fill them with a sweet or savory sauce).
• Myanmar: e kya kway
• Philippines: Bicho or Bicho-Bicho, Shakoy
• Thailand: pathongko
• Vietnam: dầu cháo quẩy, giò cháo quẩy, quẩy

 

11. Yellow Tea

Have you heard of yellow tea before? When you hear yellow tea, it normally refers to Chinese huángchá or Korean hwangcha.

It’s a very traditional tea, but it’s not very common here in the United States. 

Also, in case you are not very familiar with yellow tea, it’s similar to green tea, except it has a milder flavor and is slightly fermented (or “oxidized”).

Interested in learning more? If so, you can learn more from Simple Loose Leaf.

 

List of European Food That Start With Y

 

1. Yorkshire Pudding

Ok, so Yorkshire pudding is a kind of pudding that’s very popular in England. It’s made with eggs, flour, and milk or water. 

So, as you can see, it’s not a sweet pudding like what we are familiar with here in the United States.

For those of you in the U.S., you can think of Yorkshire pudding as a savory pancake, except it puffs up with air and leaves a kind of dent in the middle.

Interestingly, at least to me, people in England normally eat Yorkshire pudding alongside gravy as a sort of starter dish before the main meal (or you can eat it as a side dish to a larger dish such as roast beef).

If you’d like to learn more about Yorkshire pudding, you can check out this page by The Spruce Eats. They even include an easy-to-follow recipe for you!

 

List of Hispanic or Latin American Food That Start With Y

 

1. Yuca

Yuca, or sometimes spelled yucca, is one of my FAVORITE dishes! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE yuca fries!

(I REALLY recommend you try yuca fries someday if you haven’t. They’ll blow your mind!)

Although the taste of yuca reminds me of a potato, it’s actually a starchy root that’s native to South America. Here in the United States, we call this root cassava.

You can cook yuca in several ways: boil it, bake it, or fry it. However, it’s probably best to bake it first to soften it up so that you can bake it or fry it afterward.

(Whatever you do, DO NOT eat it raw! It’s very toxic if you consume it that way).

So, sometimes people like to boil yuca and then mash it to make something similar to mashed potatoes. 

However, as mentioned earlier, I like to boil yuca first to soften them up, then cut them into chunks, then deep fry them or brush some oil on them and bake them in the oven.

And then I dip them in some ketchup or a ketchup-mayo combination sauce (super popular in Latin America – they call this salsa rosada or pink sauce in English)

 😀

Are you interested? I sure hope so! If so, take a look at the YouTube video below by Food Wishes for a yuca fries recipe.

(I can almost promise you that if you like french fries, you’ll LOVE yuca fries!!).

Oh! And FYI… depending on where you live, you can often buy yuca already cut into chunks so you don’t have to peel the skin. Saves a TON of time!

[Goya, the Latino food company, Goya sells a HUGE bag of frozen chopped yuca]!

 

 

2. Yautía

So, yautía is a kind of root vegetable that is very popular in Latin America, especially in the Caribbean areas, and it looks similar to yuca.

Be aware that you may know this vegetable by its other names. These names include:

• Yautía: Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic
• Walusa: Bolivia
• Bore: Colombia
• Ocumo: Venezuela
• Tiquisque or Macal: Costa Rica
• Quequisque: Nicaragua
• Otoe: Panama
• Malanga: Cuba
• Mafafa: Mexico
• Tayer: Suriname and the Netherlands

The difference between yautía and yuca is that yautía has fibers on the skin that look like hairs and it has a very earthy taste.

However, the unfortunate thing about yautía is that it breaks down easily when it’s cooked. But, the fortunate thing about yautía is that they are easily used as a thickening agent for stews BECAUSE they break down easily.

In case you’re interested, here are some very popular Caribbean dishes for yautía:

• Pasteles
• Guanime
• Sancocho
• Alcapurrias
• Mondongo 

 

3. Yacón

Have you heard of yacón? If not, it’s a kind of root, similar to jícama, that is cultivated in the South American Andes. However, unlike jícama, yacón has a slightly sweeter taste. 

You may know this vegetable by the name Peruvian ground apple.

Also, in case you were unaware, you can eat yacón raw! However, some people like to boil it or roast it. Or, some people even enjoy using yacón to make jams, chips, or juices.   

 

4. Yellow Mombin

Yellow mombin, or hog plum or Spanish plum, is a type of tropical fruit that’s native to southern Mexico all the way down to northern Peru and Brazil and it’s shaped like a long cylinder.

People normally eat it raw or cook it with sugar to make jams, juices, sherbets, or other desserts.

If you’re from another country and you’re still wondering what these are, here is a list of different names for this fruit and which country or countries call it by that name:

• Jobo: Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico, Panama
• Yuplón: Costa Rica
• Jocote de Corona: El Salvador
• Yellow mombin,  hog plum: English-speaking Caribbean islands
• Spanish plum, gully plum, or coolie plum: Jamaica
• Mope: Sirunam
• Cajá, taperebá, ambaló: Brazil
• Uvos, mango ciruelo: Peru
• Hog plum, ashanti plum: Ghana

 

5. Yellow Sapote

So, yellow sapote is a fruit that some people may know as canistel, cupcake fruit, or egg fruit.

Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, are just some of the few tropical countries that cultivate yellow sapotes.

FYI, many people like to eat yellow sapotes raw and they say it has the texture of hard-boiled egg yolk. Other than eating it raw, some people like to make jams and marmalades with it. 

Also, if you’re wondering what it tastes like, some people say it’s similar to a sweet potato or pumpkin pie.

YUM.

 

6. Yemas de Santa Teresa

This is a kind of pastry that’s super popular in Ávila, which is one of Spain’s provinces. They look like little orange balls with powdered sugar on top.

It’s important to note that in the Philippines, they have a candy called “yemas”, which is different from Spain’s Yemas de Santa Teresa.

In the Philippines, yemas are a kind of custard ball or pyramid made of egg yolks, sugar, and milk. However, it’s possible that the idea came from the Spanish Yemas de Santa Teresa.

 

Middle Eastern Food That Begin with the Letter Y

 

1. Yakhni

So, yakhni, or yahni, is a Persian meat stew dish. However, in Pakistan and India, in particular, yakhni is the stock or broth that they use as a base for other dishes such as pilaf.

 

2. Yakhnet Sabanegh 

Have you heard of yakhnet sabanegh? You may (or may not) have heard it called yakhnet el-sabanekh.

Anyway, in case you have not heard of either of those, it is a Lebanese spinach stew. Some of the basic ingredients include beef or lamb, spinach, onions, butter, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

 

List of African Food That Start With Y

 

1. Yamarita

Another name for yamarita is dundun oniyeri. Yamarita is a Nigerian dish of boiled yam that’s coated in egg, flour, garlic, ginger, and salt and then it’s fried.

In total, it takes about 45 minutes to cook and you can eat them with ketchup or a hot pepper sauce.

If you’re interested in making yamarita, this recipe by Pulse is just one of many you can find online.

 

2. Yassa

In case you are not aware of what this is, yassa is a spicy dish from Senegal that consists of marinated chicken, fish, or lamb, and caramelized onions. 

That doesn’t sound too bad, right? It actually sounds REALLY good, right? (I love caramelized onions).

If you’re interested in trying out a recipe for yassa, you can check out this recipe by Panning the Globe.

 

List of Oceania Food Beginning With Y

 

1. Yabby 

OK, so Yabby, also known as cherax,  is the common name for a kind of crayfish in the fresh waters of Australia.

Most people buy yabbies live, put them in a bucket of ice water, and then they either boil them or grill them.

 

2. Youngberry

Youngberries are reddish-black hybrid berries that come from three different types of berries: blackberries, raspberries, and dewberries. 

They look similar to blackberries, but they are a little smaller. 

Also, youngberries are very popular in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

 

List of Worldwide Drinks or Food That Start With The Letter Y

 

1. Yam

A yam is a kind of vegetable that grows in the ground and grows best in temperate and tropical climates such as in South America, the Caribbean, West Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

These vegetables must be cooked, but lucky for all of us yam lovers, there are SO many ways to cook them!

They’re so versatile!

For example, you can boil them, roast them, or even fry them.

Did I mention that there are different types of yams? Well, in the Philippines they have a type of purple yam called ube. It’s INSANE how purple it is!

(And so sweet, too).

UBE is MY FAVORITE kind of yam! In the Philippines, they make so many different types of ube pastries, such as ube cake, that are to die for. I used to live near a Filipino bakery when I lived in California. I miss it  🙁

Anyway, I TOTALLY recommend you try ube pastries if you ever get the chance!

If you’re interested, which I totally hope you are, you can check out this recipe for Filipino purple yam cake by Hungry Huy.

You can use ube powder, which you can purchase on Amazon, instead of the ube if you don’t have this root available where you live.

 

 

2. Yogurt 

So, yogurt is a very popular food that people eat all over the world! It is a milk product made by bacterial fermentation.

[People also spell it yoghurt, yogurt, or yoghourt].

The word yogurt comes from a Turkish word that is related to the word used to describe something that is curdled or coagulated, which is what happens during yogurt’s production.

Interestingly, no one really knows the origins of yogurt. Many historians believe, though, that yogurt was invented in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC.

FYI, if you’re eating yogurt for health benefits, keep in mind that many times companies add a TON of sugar to their yogurt products!

In fact, some yogurts have 20-25 grams of sugar per 5-ounce container. And most of it is added sugar (Harvard.edu)!

Yikes!

So, if you’re worried about sugar, it may be better for you to ditch those yogurts that have sugar listed as one of the top 4 ingredients. 

Instead, it may be better to buy plain yogurt and add your own sweeteners, such as fresh fruits or honey 😉

 

3. Yellow Beets

I did NOT KNOW that beets could be yellow until recently. Yellow beets are sometimes called golden beets because of their yellow (or golden) color.

One of the main differences between red beets and yellow beets, besides the color, is that yellow beets have a sweeter and less earthy taste.

However, both kinds of beets are super nutritious and contain lots of vitamins and minerals such as:

• Folate
• Beta-carotene
• Manganese
• Potassium
• Fiber
• Copper
• Phosphorus
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Flavonoid
• Zeaxanthin
• Vitamin B6 
• Vitamin C

 

Final Thoughts on Ideas for Names of Food that Start with Y From Around the World

 

Well, I hope you enjoyed this complete guide to 30+ different foods beginning with the letter Y.

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