27 Foods That Start With Z + Recipes

When it comes to food, there are so many options available that we cannot get all the names or eat all the foods, but we can try.

If you are here reading this article, you are doing the best thing by knowing the names of food serially and alphabetically.

Most of the names of foods mentioned will most likely not sound familiar to you, but that is where the fun of learning lies.

I will use the term to refer to anything edible that begins with Z, and it could be fruits, vegetables, spices, drinks, snacks, or cooked food.

This could inspire you to try out one or two recipes that you have never heard of before. So accompany me as I take you through a list of foods that begin with the letter Z. I hope you are excited as I am as we explore the world of food.

1. Zeppole

zeppole

Zeppole is a deep-fried dough ball, and it is an Italian pastry. This pastry ball is light and puffy and has a spongy texture. Immediately they are taken from the oven; they are coated in sugar.

This fritter’s ingredients are very simple; it only requires dough, yeast, sugar, and water.

This pastry is reserved and eaten most on St Joseph’s day, a Catholic feast day yearly on the 19th of March.

So, you might find this cake is referred to as St Joseph’s cake because of the occasion it is prepared for.

This fritter can be filled with pastry cream, custard jelly, or a butter and honey mixture. This pastry is very delicious and easy to make at home.

If you are interested in the dish’s recipe, you can visit this link to get a detailed description of what you are expected to do.

2. Zerda

zerde

Zerda is a pudding made with rice and colored with saffron. It is Turkish cuisine and is mainly served as dessert.

This dish is of high value, prepared during festive celebrations like birth celebrations, weddings, and Muharram’s sacred month’s first ten days.

To prepare this dish, you begin by boiling the rice in water, and then you add saffron, turmeric, and sugar. These ingredients give the pudding its yellow color.

You will find some recipes where this pudding is garnished with pistachios, pomegranate seeds, and pine nuts.

3. Zucchini

zucchini

Zucchini is a summer squash famous for its flavor and savory nature. This vegetable is fresh and edible and can be easily grown at home or bought in the supermarket.

This fruit is harvested when its seeds are still immature, and they are softer and more edible at this stage.

This young fruit of the zucchini is cooked as a vegetable, and the leaves of this plant are edible. It does not have any distinct flavor apart from the young fresh plant with a slightly sweet taste.

This plant is very versatile and has various uses in the culinary world, and you can use it for savory dishes and sweet dishes.

Zucchinis are used for casserole, pies, salads, vegetables, baked goods, ice cream, smoothies, and juice.

A good thing about this plant is that it is very low in calories and fat, and if you are working hard to reduce your calory levels, consider adding this to your diet.

This plant can help you fight cancer and infections in the body, it can improve your heart’s health, and it helps to cure asthma.

Also, it supports digestion, slows down aging, and is beneficial for your eyes’ health.

4. Zagnut

zagnut

Zagnut is a candy bar that has been produced since the 1930s. The main ingredients in this candy bar are toasted coconut and peanut butter.

This candy bar has crunchy peanut butter at the candy bar’s core, coated with toasted coconut flakes.

It is delicious and sweet, a favorite for kids and even adults. These bars are famously eaten during summer, and this is because they do not get to melt under the heat as chocolates do.

So it is easy to carry them around. They might be hard to find in any supermarket, so you might have to order them online from apps like Amazon.

5. Zig Zag Vine Fruit

zig-zag-vine-fruit

Zig zag vine fruit is a rainforest vine popularly grown in Eastern Australia. The orange fruit from this vine is delicious, has a pleasant flavor, and is used in many gourmet dishes.

You can eat this fruit as it is, you can use it as a condiment in your sauces, you can also mix it in your fruit salads, ice cream, and yogurt.

The fantastic thing about this vine plant is that it attracts many butterflies; this could be an excellent addition to your little garden, making the place bubble with life.

6. Zebra Steak

zebra-steak

Zebra steak is meat gotten from Zebras which are primarily found in East and Southern Africa.

This meat is red, and it is a more healthy option than beef; the zebra’s farming is restricted to protect the species from extinction.

This meat has a delicious and subtle flavor, and it has a minimal amount of fats and calories.

Zebra is a very healthy meat. It contains vitamin B12, which boosts the body’s energy levels, and it is an excellent source of protein.

This meat has to be correctly cooked for it to be tender. Also, even with the cooking, the meat is still quite chewy. So you have to chew it properly for a better digestion experience.

The best way to prepare this meat is to cut it into slim slices and fry it at a hot temperature.

7. Zaatar

zaatar

Zaatar is a spice in Arabic cuisine, and it means a wild mint-related herb. Zaatar is a common herb now used in the culinary world, and it is not restricted to Arabic cuisines.

Zaatar is also used to refer to this herb mixed with dried sumac, salt, and toasted sesame seeds.

This herb has a slight flavor resemblance to oregano, and the herb is dried and ground into a coarse texture and used in dishes. The most common dish that is eaten with this herb is pita.

Pita is a yeast-leavened flatbread very common in Mediterranean dishes.

The exciting thing about Zaatar is that there is no single recipe that everyone is supposed to abide by.

The signature varies from region to region, from family to family, each place can develop its unique signature for this herb, but the herb remains the primary ingredient.

8. Zinger burger

zinger-burger

Zinger burger is one of the options served at KFC. It is a burger that deviated from the traditional burgers that used beef meat; KFC’s zinger burger uses chicken instead of beef.

The burger uses chicken breast, which is boneless and succulent. This meat is coated and deep-fried in hot oil until the chicken breast becomes crispy and golden brown.

This is then placed between two sliced buns and other vegetables like lettuce, cheese, and mayonnaise.

This burger is served alongside French fries, coleslaw, and ketchup. The crispiness of the deep-fried chicken gives you a wonderful eating experience, and it is delightful.

9. Zizania

zizania

This rice is also known as Indian rice or Canadian rice, and it is edible wild rice. The rice is indigenous to North America and China, but this plant is used more as a vegetable in Chinese cuisine.

This rice is a treasured species, and also it has a cultural significance among the Natives of North America.

The survival of this rice is fragile and guarded, up to the extent that you have to get a permit to harvest this rice in Minnesota. And Minnesota is the state that grows more of this rice in the country.

There are many ways of preparing this rice, one of the traditional ways includes stewing it in a deer broth, and you can use it for rice pudding and sweeten it with maple syrup.

You might wonder why people will go through stress to get this wild rice when they can have the regular rice. Well, apart from the culinary value, this rice has a lot of health benefits.

Wild rice has a high nutritional value, and they have a higher mineral, protein, antioxidants, and vitamin content than the regular traditional white rice.

This rice repairs the body slowly, helps to improve your heart’s health, increases your body’s immune system, and fortifies your bones.

Those with diabetes are encouraged to stay off the diet; if you have diabetes, you can add wild rice to your diet scientifically.

Bodybuilders need many complex carbs and protein; adding this rice to your diet is the best thing because they contain the necessary proteins and carbs you need.

10. Zone

zoni

Often known as O-zone, this is a soup containing mochi rice cakes, a popular dish in Japanese cuisine.

This meal is synonymous with the Japanese new year, and it is eaten widely on the first three days of the new year’s celebration.

During this time, the people pray for family members’ health and safety and a prosperous harvest season.

The method of preparation and recipe for this soup varies from place to place.

You can use many variations; some use chicken, some use fish, and others use vegetables as ingredients for this soup.

But the typical ingredients you will find from place to place are carrots, daikon radish, and carrots.

11. Zuppa

zuppa

This is a hearty soup that belongs to Italian cuisine; this soup is made with bacon, sausages, potatoes, veggies, spices in a cream broth.

The heavy cream and parmesan cheese used to give this soup a rich and creamy texture.

This soup is very flavorful and is most of the time referred to as Zuppa Tuscano, and this means soup made in the style of Tuscany.

This is a thick soup because of the heavy cream, but if you want something lighter, you can use half of the cream, and you will still have a flavorful, tasty dish.

You can serve this dish with bread rolls, breadsticks, and any salad of your choice.

It is a perfect warm meal for supper, especially when you have the family together. You can get a good recipe for this dish by following this link.

12. Zrazy

zrazy

Zrazy is a popular meat dish prevalent in Eastern Europe’s cuisine, especially in Belarus, Poland, and Ukraine.

This dish consists of any meat rolled around various fillings, and this meat is braised until it becomes tender for consumption.

It is always better to use thinly sliced meat because the meat cooks and becomes tender faster. This dish’s stuffings vary, but you will commonly find stuffings like mushrooms, breadcrumbs, horseradish, and herbs.

It is essential to season the thin slices of meat before you roll them around the stuffings; this will give your dish a flavorful taste.

Zrazy is commonly served as the main dish together with potato dumplings and rice topped with extra sauce.

13. Zinfandel Grapes

zinfandel-grapes

Zinfandel grapes are oval, and they grow in tightly packed bunches; they have thick skin, and their color could be purple-black or deep red. They are incredibly juicy, and they possess on few tiny seeds.

They have a sweet flavor that is quite complex, which makes them sought after. They have hints of flavor like plum, blackberry, and spice.

These plants are primarily available during the fall. We all know that the region where any grape is planted influences the taste of the grape.

Cold region grapes tend to have a sweet fruity flavor, while grapes grown in warmer regions have pepper notes and blackberry flavor.

This grape has multiple uses; you can eat them fresh or use them for juice, fruit salads,  ice cream, and jam.

These grapes are most commonly used for making wine; you can use them for semi-sweet wines and robust red wine.

These grapes are rich in Vitamins C, K, A and have high fluid content to help with hydration.

14. Zhi Hun Gen

zhi-hun-gen

These are noodles made from tapioca, a root plant. The starch used in making these noodles are extracted from the cassava root plant. The tapioca makes the noodles look slippery, and they are a satisfyingly chewy texture.

15. Ziti

ziti

Ziti is a tubular pasta that is slender, and this pasta has a smooth surface. This pasta is famously baked and used for casseroles. You can make this classic recipe by baking your ziti pasta in a tomato-based meat sauce.

Other ingredients you can use for your baked ziti are parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, sausage in a creamy sauce, and basil.

Baked ziti has similarities with lasagna, but it is much easier to prepare than lasagna. You can follow this link for a recipe for baked ziti with shrimp and spinach.

16. Zopf

zopf

Zopf is a plaited bread, popular in Bavarian, Swiss, and Austrian cuisine. This bread is made of yeast, butter, white flour, eggs, and milk.

This bread has a golden crust, and this is because it is brushed with either milk or egg yolk before it is put in the oven to bake.

This is a typical bread used for breakfast on Sundays, with fruit jams and butter. The bread has a lovely soft texture from the milk and butter added to it during preparation.

To achieve the braid which makes this bread outstanding, you divide your dough into three strands and weave them together before baking the bread.

17. Zongzi

zongzi

Zongzi is a Chinese rice dish sometimes also called zong. This rice is wrapped in bamboo leaves stuffed together with mushrooms, meat, vegetables, or spices.

These ingredients are stuffed together with the rice in the leaves and wrapped. After which, they are boiled or steamed.

You can also use flat leaves in the place of the bamboo leaves. Zongzi is also known as rice dumplings. The wrappings give the rice a cone or cylinder shape.

Zongzi is a ceremonial meal, and it is prepared and eaten on the 5th day of the 5th month when the Chinese celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.

This rice dish gets a uniques flavor from the leaves that are used to wrap it. There are different recipes for this dish, and it varies from region to region.

You have to soak the rice in water overnight, and some recipes require you to soak the leaves as well.

Another essential thing to note is that you have to boil the leaves before using them to wrap the rice and the fillings.

If you are interested in this rice dish, you could look up this recipe.

18. Zurek

zurek

Zurek is a soup mostly popular in Polish cuisine made from fermented cereals like wheat or rye.

The wheat or rye used to make this soup also has sausages, bacon, and ham, and boiled eggs and fresh herbs are added at the end of preparation.

This soup is traditionally used to mark the end of the Lenten fast. This soup has a slightly sour and acidic taste and is traditionally served with boiled or fried potatoes. If you want a classic recipe for this soup, you can visit this blog.

19. Zingers

zingers

Zingers are snacks made by the Hostess company. These snacks come in different flavors and ingredients. They generally have a slightly thicker surface with icing and a filling in the middle of the snack.

You can get different flavors like chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and many more.

It is a delicious snack that soothes your palates; you can use these for your snack time or add them to your dessert options.

20. Zomerfruit

zomerfruit

The word Zomer is Dutch for summer, and it refers to all those fruits that blossom during summer.

During summer, there are several fruits available for us to eat, and it is usually the best season to have fruit salads because you will get a good combination of fresh fruits in your salad.

Some of these summer fruits include plums, nectarines, apricots, peaches, mangoes, melons, berries, cherries, and squash. A mixture of these fruits can produce different drinks and food.

It is always nice to take advantage of the presence of these fruits during zomer.

21. Zakuski

zakuski

Zakuski are appetizers in Russian cuisine, and they can be served before the main meal or throughout the entire time of the main meal.

These appetizers are little dishes, and there are a lot of them that you can serve together for people to pick from.

Zakuski was meant for feeding casual visitors, or they were served at banquets in separate rooms adjacent to the dining room. You could serve them in the dining room but at a separate table.

They could be radishes, flatbread, rye, dippers, smoked fish, ham, sausages, olives, pickles, waxy potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, caviar, and glasses of vodka.

If you are looking to serve Russian cuisine and hospitality, this is the best way to start.

If you are familiar with Spanish tapas, you will get a good idea of Zakuski. These appetizers could be cold food, or they could be hot food.

Traditionally, each food item is supposed to be eaten after a shot of vodka.

22. Zarangollo

zarangollo

This is a typical Spanish cuisine dish, and it comprises zucchini, onions, scrambled eggs, and potatoes.

This dish is commonly served as an appetizer; the preparation method requires you to slice all the ingredients, after which you fry them in olive oil.

These fried ingredients are then topped with scrambled eggs and served while the food is still warm or hot.

Occasionally you will find Zarangollo being served as a side dish accompanying other dishes like meat and seafood.

You will commonly find this dish in Spanish September fairs and Spring festivals.

This is a light meal and an easy meal to make for supper, especially if you are looking for a side dish to accompany your steak. You can check out this link for the simple recipe for this dish.

23. Zoodles

zoodles

Zoodle is pasta made from zucchini rather than traditional flour. Zoodles are an exciting way of adding vegetables to your diet.

If you have kids and are struggling to get them to eat vegetables, this could be an exciting way of making them eat fresh vegetables.

While some might believe that zoodles are not the real deal but imposters and are soggy, we cannot throw away the health benefits that zucchini offers.

Zucchini are gluten-free and the best option for all those sensitive to gluten.

All you need to do is cut your zucchini into spiral shapes with a veggie spiralizer, and you cook them in garlic, butter, and parmesan cheese.

You can be sure to have a healthy dinner in less than twenty minutes. You can add any meat option if you hope to spice things up. You can check out this recipe for making zoodles.

24. Zuccotto

zuccotto

Zuccotto is a dessert with origins in Italian cuisine, and it is made with ice cream, cake, and alchemy.

It is a semi-chilled cake, which means that it has to be refrigerated to remain in good shape.

It has a pumpkin shape, following the meaning of its name, which means little pumpkin.

There are many flavors you could make your Zuccotto; you could go with the chocolate flavor or strawberry or vanilla. Some recipes go as far as including alcohol in the ingredients.

25. Zander

zander

Zander is a freshwater fish, and it is one of those popular game fish. Zander falls under the ray-finned fish species, and it resembles the pike because of its long, tough and muscular body.

Zander has a combination of colors; the underbelly is ice cream white, and its back is green-brown.

Zander fish is delicious, and they have flaky flesh. You can include them in your dish by boiling in your stew or broth, frying, or grilling them.

26. Zapote

zapote

Zapote is a tree with a gummy latex, an essential ingredient for making chewing gum. The fruit from this tree is green on the outside with an orange color on the inside.

It grows mainly in Peru, other south American countries, and a few countries in Europe.

This fruit has the texture of an avocado, and it tastes like a fig fruit. This fruit does very well during early spring and late fall.

You can blend this fruit with ice, water, milk, and sugar to get a refreshing beverage.

Or you could decide to mash the flesh and use them to make custards or smoothies, ice cream, or as fillings for your pies.

27. Zaalouk

zaalouk

Zaalouk is a salad meal in Moroccan cuisine. It is a cooked salad that comprises eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, and spices. This salad is usually served as a side dish to many dishes. It is perfect as a dip for crusty bread.

There are many recipes ranging from family to family, and it is also different from one region to another. This salad is best served at room temperature.

Zaalouk describes something soft or a puree; the name perfectly suits this dish because it is soft. You can check out this blog for the recipe for this delicious salad.

Finally

Many exciting dishes and recipes have been mentioned in this list. You might not remember all of them by heart, but I am sure there are quite a few that caught your attention.

You have gained some knowledge about foods that start with Z, and I am sure you have also been introduced to a dish that you will love to try out. If you decide to do so, have some fun and enjoy your meal.

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