Food brings families and friends together ever more closely and is one of life’s blissfully sweet experiences. Can you think of several meals which begin with “a” or just “apple” popping out? The first letter of the alphabet gives me loads of delectable and enticing meals.
That’s why I am sharing with you all about my A collection – ranking down from the primary food groups to the regional dishes that still count. Take your time right away, my dear!
A & The Five Food Groups
No matter whether your foods begin from a to z, they are grouped due to the amount of the primary nutrients. In the five food groups, you should consume the recommended daily amounts to satisfy the critical nutritional needs for good health.
Calcium and protein are the essential nutrients in yogurt, cheese, milk, and other alternatives. The fruit group is an excellent source of vitamin C mainly. Orange vegetables like pumpkins and carrots have much more vitamin A than other vegetables such as white potatoes for the legumes and vegetables food category.
Now, it’s our turn to gather up all foods that start with A. Let’s dive in!
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Fruits
As part of a fruit group, any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts. Fruits can be fresh, dried, frozen, or canned, and they can be whole, cut up, cooked, or pureed.
Whole Fruit
- Apricot: Apricot is a peach-like A-starting fruit, but smaller, orange or pale yellow in red shades.
- Achacha: A small, prolifically fruity tree linked to the mangosteen, Garcinia humilis is commonly known as achacha or achachairú.
- Acerola: Acerola is cherry-like berries in taste and is used in modern and folk medicine.
- Apple: Apples are grown in the United States in 2,500 different varieties. Around the world, 7,500 apple varieties are grown. If you prefer its juice, there’re many apple juice products that are low in calories and free of chemicals.
- Acai Berry: Acai berry (ah-sigh-EE) is a grape-like fruit collected from acai palm trees native to South American rainforests.
- Avocado: There’s more potassium in an avocado than in a banana. Although most fruits are high in carbohydrates, avocado is high in healthy fats.
- Aloe Vera: Aloe vera, the succulent plant species in the Aloe genus, grows abundantly in tropical climates and used for centuries as a medicinal plant. Juices from aloe vera have become popular recently.
- Ackee: Ackee is Jamaica’s national fruit and is borne on an evergreen tree in clusters. The West African name Akye fufo is derived.
- Amanatsu: Amanatsu is a citrus fruit with a slightly bitter flavor and a characteristic sour popular in Japan as an orange.
- Anchovy Pear: A tropical fruit cultivated in Central America and Jamaica tastes like mango and is usually pickled.
- Amarelle Cherry: Amarelle cherry is a tart or sour cherry with brilliant red peel and light-colored pulp and juice.
Fruit Juice
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Mixing apples and yeast to make apple cider vinegar. The sugar in the apples is converted into alcohol by the yeast. So have you tried a glass of refreshing apple cider vinegar and grape juice? If not, you should make one and see how amazing it is.
- Agave Syrup: Agave syrup (agave nectar) is a naturally occurring sweetener similar to honey but slightly thinner.
- Ade: Ade is simply a slang term for a fruit-flavored sweetened drink. Consider limeade, lemonade, orangeade, cherryade, etc.
Vegetables
Based on their nutrient content, vegetables are classified into five subgroups: beans and peas, dark-green vegetables, red and orange vegetables, starchy vegetables, and other vegetables.
Beans & Peas
- Asparagus Bean: Asparagus bean seeds (Yardlong beans) grow on long trailing vines and fast-growing pods. Plant for tender and thick beans.
Dark Green Vegetables
- Artichoke: Artichokes are high in fiber, low in fat, and rich in minerals and vitamins such as vitamin K, vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium, and folate.
- Asparagus: Can you describe what asparagus flavor is like? In fact, asparagus is a lily family member that comes in many colors, including white, purple, and green. And different asparagus varieties will have different tastes.
- Arugula: Arugula is a peppery, distinct-tasting green that is grown in the Mediterranean region. It’s also known as salad rocket, Italian cress, and rucola.
Starchy Vegetables
- Acorn Squash: Acorn squash is a sweet, low-calorie winter squash that contains nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C.
- Arrowroot: Arrowroot is a flavorless white powder used to thicken soups, sauces, and other foods such as fruit pie fillings.
- Arracacha: A rooted vegetable of the Andes origin, slightly intermediate between the carrots and the celery root, is Arracacha (Arracacia xanthorrhize).
Other Vegetables
- Aubergine: Aubergine comes in a variety of shapes, ranging from spherical to oblong and ovoid. It’s less dark, purple, yellow, orange, white with white, purple lines, or even black. In Ivorian gastronomy, this vegetable is often made into a savory and rich sauce.
- Alfalfa Sprouts: Alfalfa sprouts are made up of tiny, dark brown seeds that have sprouted young, slender shoots with a set of small leaves measuring 2 to 5 inches in length.
Grains
Grain foods are mainly made from wheat, rice, barley, oats, rye, quinoa, corn, and millet. The various grains can be cooked and eaten entirely, ground into meals, to produce cereal products such as pasta, noodles, bread, or prepare cereals for breakfast.
Whole Grain
- Amaranth: Amaranth is a plant, contains vitamin C to the body’s healing process; supports the process of iron, repair muscle tissue, maintain collagen, and form blood vessels. Amaranth leaves are edible and are a well-loved dish in Zambia.
- Arborio Rice: Arborio rice is short-grain rice from Italy. Arborio rice is to make rice pudding. It is a cultivar of the Japonica group of Oryza sativa varieties.
Refined Grain
- All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is versatile wheat flour. It is used to make bread, pancakes, pizza, cookies, muffins, and other baked goods.
- Ashcake: Ashcake is like bread, made with cornmeal or flour, baking powder, salt, and water, baking over sand or a heated stone layer covered in hot ashes.
Protein Foods
Seafood, meat, poultry, and eggs; nuts, seeds, and soy are among the protein-rich foods in the protein food category.
To increase nutrient intake and health benefits, choose various protein foods and eat at least 8 ounces of cooked seafood every week. Choose lean or low-fat meats and poultry.
Seafood
- Anchovies: Anchovies are the popular forage fish in the Engraulidae family. They’re green fish with a blue shadow due to a longitudinal silver line running from the caudal fin base.
- Albacore: Albacore is a smaller species of tuna reaching sizes from skipjack to yellowfin. Canned, fresh, frozen whole fish, steaks, and loins are available for Albacore.
- Abalone: Abalone is Haliotis, a genus of marine snails. Group of large edible marine gastropods with an ear-shaped shell and a series of holes along the outer side.
- Alewife: The alewife has a grayish-green back, smooth scales, wide eyes, and a thin silverfish. Tiny fish, shrimps, and copepods are the prey of alewives.
- Amberjack: Amberjack is a Pacific and Atlantic fish in the Seriola genus of the Carangidae family. They are game fish found in the warmer ocean areas.
- Atlantic Oyster: A tiny, predatory snail with a ribbed, pointed shell is the Atlantic oyster drill. And you need a sturdy oyster knife to take off their shell safely as they are not easy to open.
- Anglerfish: Anglerfish are parts of the teleost order Lophiiformes. Get their name from the glowing lure they use to catch fish and crustaceans.
- Ahi Tuna: Ahi tuna is formally known as yellowfin tuna because its fins are yellow. Yellowfin tuna flesh varies in color, pink in small fish and deep red in large fish.
Meat, Poultry & Eggs
- Aspic: Aspic is a savory gelatin food made with meat stock or consommé and set in a mold to encase other additives. It’s famous worldwide with many variations. In the cuisine of Estonia and many European nations, the most common form is pork jelly.
- Albondigas: Spanish meatballs are known as albondigas. Albondigas soup is a rich tomato broth soup with rice meatballs and beef, zucchini, potatoes, and carrots.
- Angus Beef: Aberdeen Angus beef is derived from a Scottish breed of cattle (Aberdeen Angus). Well-known for their marbling, juicy flavors, and consistency.
- Alligator Meat: Alligator meat is white meat with a muscle structure comparable to chicken.
Nuts, Seeds & Soy
- Amchoor: The amchoor season foods by using dried unripe green mangoes to make a fruity spice powder. Unlikely as it may seem, Amchoor is a fantastic substitute for tamarind paste as it strikes the perfect balance between sweetness and sourness once mixed with water.
- Acorn: The acorn is the oak tree’s fruit. It is a nut with a single (rarely two) seed enclosed in a thick, leathery shell.
- Amaranth: Amaranth is a high-nitrogen, high-biomass plant used as silage for animal feed or fresh. Food is made from oil, seed, and leaf.
- Almond: Almonds contain minerals, vitamins, fiber, and protein and can have various health benefits.
- Adzuki Beans: Adzuki beans are high in nutrients such as protein, manganese, and fiber. Tiny, sweet, and nutty adzuki beans they are.
Dairy
Both liquid milk and milk products that hold calcium after processing, such as cheese and yogurt, are included in the dairy category.
Dairy foods provide a specific package of nutrients that function well for children’s development, optimum growth, and a lower risk of chronic disease.
Cheese
- Almond Butter: Ground almonds are used for making almond butter. This nut butter variety offers an excellent substitute for people who are allergic to peanuts
- Appenzeller Cheese: Three to six months is the average age of Appenzeller cheese. A nutty flavor, the aromas from herbal rub become more amplified, spicy overtones.
- Abbruzze Cheese Spread: Abbruzze cheese spread is the traditional spicy treat of the Italian Market, packed with plenty of red chiles and zesty garlic.
- Añejo Cheese: Añejo Enchilado is an aged Mexican cheese made of goat milk and usually made from cow’s milk.
- Asiago Cheese: Asiago cheese is a cow’s milk cheese from Italy with a flavor similar to Parmesan but creamier and nuttier.
Milk & Yogurt
- Algae Milk: Algae milk is made from microalgae-based algalin flour, creating healthier products with more protein and less saturated fat.
- Almond Milk: Almond milk is made from water and filtered almonds. It is a plant-based beverage, naturally lactose and dairy-free. And there are a few tips to enhance your almond milk’s taste with various ingredients, for example, vanilla, honey, spices, etc.
Herbs & Spices
- Allspice: Allspice is a spice produced from the dried berries of the myrtle plant Pimenta dioica. If it is not easy to buy allspice, you can try other allspice alternatives like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, etc. But you need to know the appropriate ratio for these replacements.
- Acetum: Aceyum Acetum is used as a condiment or a food preservative. When wine or cider oxidizes, it produces a sour liquid.
- Artificial Sweeteners: Synthetic sugar substitutes are artificial sweeteners derived from naturally occurring sugar or herbs.
- Achiote Paste: Achiote paste is a small block made of crushed achiote seed, salt, garlic, vinegar, and spices.
- Allemande Sauce: Allemande sauce is a French sauce is flavored with lemon juice and thickened with egg yolks and heavy cream.
- Alfredo Sauce: A creamy white sauce made from heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and butter placed on pizza or pasta.
- Arrabiata Sauce: Arrabbiata sauce (sugo all’arrabbiata in Italian) is a spicy variety of pasta sauce made with tomatoes, dried red chili peppers, and garlic boiled in olive oil.
- Alphabet Soup: The alphabet soup’s base is simply pasta, chicken bouillon, and tomato sauce.
- Agrodolce: Agrodolce is a sour and sweet Italian condiment, adding flavor and color to poultry, fish, meat, pasta, and vegetables.
- Amchur: The spice amchur is unripe or green mango fruits sliced and sun-dried.
- Annatto: Annatto is a food coloring and a red-orange condiment derived from the seed of the tree achiote (Bixa Orellana), common in Mexico-Brazil tropical regions.
- Atchar: Atchar is a spicy condiment that is often served with curry. It is inspired by South African Indian cuisine.
- Anise: Anise is an annual herb in the parsley family (Apiaceae) grown primarily for its dry fruits, known as aniseed, which have a flavor same as licorice.
- Aonori: Aonori is rich in magnesium and calcium and is dried in powdery, tiny flakes across Japan.
- Asafoetida: Asafoetida is a gum from a range of fennels that naturally smell like rotting garlic, solid and intense.
There you are, go through all the critical elements in the food groups that begin with A. Now, it’s your turn to track out more about the cuisine. After the first candidate in the alphabet, you can try listing foods with the B letter.
Do a quick tour now and share with me which one is your favorite!
A & The Traditional Cuisine
Every foodie likes an opportunity to eat traditional food worldwide and try a new taste for the first time or flavor from a regional dish that you have heard about for a long time.
It’s what you and I love to do and always a genuine pleasure to go for food. Let’s let your palate travel you through the best A dishes worldwide!
African “A” Foods
African meals are popular dishes served in different parts of the continent. I am arranging a list of some African foods starting with A.
- Abacha Salad: Abacha salad is a dish from the cassava root, high in dietary fiber and carbohydrates. A spicy salad to try with garden eggs, greens, and some fish.
- Adai: Adai is a protein-rich, nutrient-dense breakfast made from spices and mixed lentils.
- Achu Soup: Achu soup, a famous Cameroonian yellow soup; made with cocoyam, palm oil, “canwa or Nikki” (limestone), spices, water, and fish.
- Afang Soup: Afang soup is a stew made with Afang leaves and a leafy vegetable called Malabar spinach or waterleaf, eaten by the Efik and Ibibio people of Nigeria.
- Ahriche: Ahriche is a tripe dish with caul, heart, lung, or ganglion of an animal wound with intestines on an oak stick then cooked over hot coals.
- Akara: A popular breakfast made with spices and brown or black-eyed beans. It is a favorite deep-fried snack.
- Amala: Àmàlà is a morsel made of plantain flour or yam. Yam is peeling, slicing, drying, then grounding or grating into a fine powder.
- Asida: Asida is an iconic Sudanese dish made of sorghum, corn, or red millet. Cook a boiled flour pudding directly in water.
- Attiéké: Attiéké (acheke) is a cassava-based side dish that is popular and traditional in West Africa. It is made with grated cassava and fermented.
Continental “A” Foods
The traditional dishes of several European countries are referred to as continental cuisine. This list includes many continental foods beginning with A.
- Aioli: Aioli and mayonnaise are both creamy emulsions and, while mayo is a creamy emulsion from egg yolks and canola oil, aioli comes from garlic and olive oils.
- Ajika: Ajika is an authentic Georgian dish consisting of hot peppers, walnuts, garlic, spices, and fresh herbs like dill, coriander, marigold petals, and basil. This hot pepper dip goes well with a wide range of dishes, from savory grilled meat to a healthy bowl of salad.
- Ajvar: Ajvar’s sweet and sour flavor touches bread slices and grilled meats perfectly. The eggplants and peppers are roasted, minced, and slowly cooked.
- Alfredo Pizza: Alfredo pizza is chewy. A soft pizza crust is topped with creamy alfredo sauce, rich mozzarella, flavorful bacon, and tender chicken.
- Alheira: Alheira is a smoked Portuguese sausage made by combining various types of meat with bread, olive oil, paprika, and garlic.
- Apple Sausage Plait: Wrapping apples, herbs, sausage meat, and limes in puff pastry creates this continental meal, apple sausage plait.
- Apple Sauce: Applesauce is a type of sauce made from apples. It can be sweetened or spiced and made with unpeeled or peeled apples.
- Arancini: An Italian dish made of tiny rice balls coated in breadcrumbs with a savory filling and fried.
- Aalsuppe: Aalsuppe is the German name for eel soup, which is native to Northern Germany. This main dish is a stew because of various ingredients, such as eel, dumplings, and vegetables.
- Antipasto: Antipasto “before the meal” is an Italian appetizer. It is made of olives, cured meats, pepperoncini, cheese, and marinated artichoke hearts.
- Au Jus: The French term for meat served in its juice is au jus. It is made by mixing pan drippings with wine and meat broth. It also as a base for gravies.
- Aligot: Aligot is a rich, smooth, stretchy, and silky French dish that combines mashed potatoes with melted cheese in half their weight.
- Andouillette: Andouillette is a French sausage made with intestines and pork meat, wine, pepper, onions, and seasonings.
- Axoa: Axoa is a traditional Basque meal made with mashed veal, sautéed tomatoes, red Espelette pepper, and onions.
Caribbean “A” Foods
This list contains some of the Caribbean and American most popular foods from letter A. These Caribbean foods are popular in and around the Caribbean Islands.
- Arroz Con Maíz: Arroz con maíz is a rice and corn dish in a single pot of Latin American cuisine.
- Arroz Con Huevos: Arroz con huevos, or rice with eggs, is a quick and tasty Mexican breakfast. Vary for a spicy or mild with hot pepper sauce.
- Aguachile Verde: Aguachile verde is a popular Mexican seafood dish. It is made with shrimp marinated in chili peppers, salt, lime juice, cucumber, cilantro, and onion slices.
- Arepas: Arepas are corn patties popular in both Venezuelan and Colombian cuisine. A corn tortilla with the shape of an English muffin crossed with a tamale.
- Arroz Con Pollo: Arroz con pollo is a quick and famous one-pot meal in traditional Cuban delicacies. The rice and chicken are cooked with tomatoes, peppers, and onions until the meat is flavorful.
- Almejas: The delicious dish known as fabes con almejas is primarily chowder made of seafood and some legumes or beans.
- Asopao: Asopao is a filling and hearty Puerto Rican stew made with vegetables and rice then topped with spicy ground chicken.
Mediterranean “A” Foods
It includes dishes from Europe, the Middle East, and the countries of North Africa as Mediterranean foods refer to recipes around the Mediterranean Sea. These Mediterranean foods are prepared with flavorful spices and ingredients. Get started with the A foods!
- Acuka: Acuka is prepared with pepper paste from Aleppo, tomato paste, ground walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, and spices.
- Akkawi: Akkawi is a brined soft cheese made from goat, cow, or sheep’s milk. It captures the mild flavor and firm, smooth texture of one of the Mediterranean region’s oldest cheeses.
- Avgolemono: Avgolemono is a rich, comforting chicken soup dish from Greece with a silky, lemony broth. It’s a well-loved comfort Greek food.
- Albondigas Soup: Albondigas Soup (Sopa de Albondigas or Mexican Meatball Soup). This soup has lots of veggies and tender pork meatballs, a full-of-flavor broth.
- Abgoosht: Abgoosht-this Iranian food is a juicy stew or a hearty soup made with lamb, white beans, tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas, and onions.
- Apáki: Apáki is a Cretan delicacy made from cured pork loin that has been smoked with herbs and wood such as marjoram, oregano, sage, or thyme.
Oriental “A” Foods
Asian food from the Far East is known as oriental cuisine. Now you have a list of oriental foods that begin with the letter A.
- Anko: Anko is a sweet paste that comes in red, green, and multi-colors in between. It is made by boiling sugar with Adzuki bean, used to fill in Japanese and Chinese dishes.
- Asian Noodles: In addition to wheat flour, Asians can make noodles with yam, rice, and mung beans. It’s pretty different than the durum wheat of pasta.
- Arame: Arame is a sea vegetable in Japanese cuisine. After reconstituting, it can be sautéed or simply boiled for use in dishes: stews, salads, soups, curries, casseroles, and stir-fries.
- Adobo: Adobo has been dubbed the “Queen of Philippine Stews,” traditionally served with rice at both feasts and daily meals.
- Appam: Appam is a South Indian pancake-like dish. The batter is made with coconut milk and fermented rice; the appam fries in the pan, much like the pancakes.
- Aush: Aush, a traditional dish from Afghanistan, consisting of soup with mint leaves and vegetables. The broth is a tomato-based soup with yogurt, garlic, or chili powder.
- Aep Mu: Aep Mu is a Northern Thai food. They are prepared by dipping minced pork in chili paste then wrapped with banana leaves before grilling on low heat.
- Aloo Gobi: Aloo Gobi (cauliflower & potatoes) is a famous Indian meal with cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and spices
A & Drinks & Desserts
Do you have a craving for cupcakes topped with rainbow sprinkles? Why eat dessert when you can drink it? And now for the best desserts and after-dinner beverages!
A & Desserts
- Ābnabāt: Ābnabāt is a type of Persian hard candy made of boiling sugar with added flavors.
- Amygdalopita: Amygdalopita is a Greek almond cake made of flour, butter, eggs, pastry cream, and ground almonds.
- Apple Pie: Apple pie is a pie with apple filling, originated from England. It is usually served with cheddar, ice cream, or whipped cream.
- Andagi: Andagi is a deep-fried doughnut from Okinawa. Eggs, flour, and brown sugar are three essential ingredients of traditional Okinawan andagi.
- Angel Food Cake: Angel food cake is like the best vanilla cake ever, and a fantastic marshmallow mysteriously joined into one light-as-air treat.
- Apple Tart: Like the apple pie without the pan, the French apple tart comprises a thin layer of flaky buttery crust with cinnamon-scented apples.
- Anmitsu: Anmitsu is a classic Japanese dessert. It is a nice combo of sweet fruit, Kanten jelly, and a coarse red, sweet bean paste called Anko.
- Apple Fritter: Apple Fritters are deeply fried and luscious doughnuts full of apples, cinnamon, and a simple three-ingredient glaze drizzled.
- Apas: Apas is oblong-formed, sugar-toped biscuits. Apas biscuits belong to Philippine food.
- Apfelkuchen: A moist custard cake with supple freshly baked apples is featured in this classic German Apfelkuchen (apple cake) recipe.
- Ashura: Ashura (Ashure) is a Turkish dessert of Armenian origin known as Noah’s pudding. A dessert porridge made of grains, nuts, dried fruits, and fruits.
- Ambrosia: Ambrosia is a famous dessert fruit salad in the US. It’s made with pineapple, coconut, marshmallows, orange slices, and a cool whip/sour cream mixture.
- Aero Chocolate: Aero chocolate is a bubbly pleasure of silky, creamy milk chocolate with the melt in every bite, lightness of the bubbles.
A & Beverages
- Albarino: Albarino, one of the best wines on earth to serve seafood. It is a white wine grape from Northern Portugal and Spain.
- Ale: Ale is a craft beer made with a warm fermentation technique that gives a pleasant, sweet, and fruity taste.
- Amaretto: Amaretto is a famous liqueur with almond tastes created mainly from apricot kernels, while it can come from almonds.
- Americano: Americano is created by adding hot water to a shot of espresso. An option if you’re not a fan of milk coffee but find a more decisive extra kick of caffeine.
- Amontillado is a sherry wine with a dark shade and a lighter color than oloroso. Found them in Montilla, a town in Southern Spain.
- Arnold Palmer: Arnold Palmer, a blend of lemonade and unsweetened iced tea. This mocktail takes the heat off every day, served over ice.
- Atole: Atole is a hot Mexican drink characterized by masa harina (dough flour), masa (corn dough), water, and spices.
Endless “A” Foods Soon You Find
You may choose a new food or two from this A-listed food to try each month if you’d like to be adventurous. Never ends the world of food!
Your friends and family members soon are amazed at how many fantastic things to eat. Send my post to your team; I am sure they still have more A criteria to add-ins. Let’s share soon; you can get the answers!
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