19 Yummy Foods That Start With Y (2024)

Yo! How about this great list of foods that start with Y to yo-yo your way to a great day!

I mean, YOLO, right?

Yes, you can yodel or yawn, but we have 19 yummy foods that start with the letter Y so you and your yuppie friends can grab ol’ yeller and make a feast fit for royalty!

Ask yearling Yvonne and that youngster Yosef, how can you go wrong with amazing foods that follow in their namesake?

Often mistaken for sweet potatoes, yams are edible tuber vegetables native to Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.

It’s notable for its distinct brown and bark-like exterior.

Depending on the maturity of the vegetable, its flesh can be white, yellow, purple, or pink in hue.

Yam is versatile. You can bake, boil, steam, roast, or fry them.

A few of the common ways to eat yams are turning them into yam fries, puree, and chips.

2. Yam pie

This is a kind of dessert that’s made primarily from yams and other sweeteners and condiments like margarine, milk, brown sugar, and eggs.

Other bakers include cinnamon, nutmeg, parsley, or chopped walnuts into their pie to add more nice textures.

The process of making the dessert involves boiling and mashing the yam, creating a mixture, then baking it in the oven for several minutes.

3. Yakisoba

Yakisoba is a Japanese noodle stir-fry dish made from ramen-style wheat noodles, pork, chopped vegetables such as cabbage, onions, bean sprouts, and carrots.

The popular dish is typically seasoned with yakisoba sauce, salt, pepper, and sometimes Worcestershire sauce.

Yakisoba became popular in Japan during the post-World War II period.

4. Yakisoba-pan

Yakisoba-pan is a Japanese dish that essentially consists of yakisoba or seasoned fried noodles, koppe pan bread, red pickled ginger, Japanese mayonnaise, aonori, or parsley for toppings.

You can also include shredded cabbage and other ingredients in the sandwich.

Yakisoba-pan is often sold as a snack or lunch at school cafeterias, convenience stores, and local bakeries.

5. Yakitori

Yakitori is Japanese skewered and grilled chicken parts including chicken breast, thighs, hearts, and gizzards.

The chicken meat is threaded onto bamboo sticks and cooked over a hot barbecue grill while being basted with a homemade sauce or tare.

The sauce is usually made from soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, honey, and rice vinegar.

Yakitori is best when garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.

6. Yam pla duk fu

Yam pla duk fu is a popular Thai dish made from smoked fish, breadcrumbs, green mango, oil, fish sauce, and fresh vegetables.

The fish is shredded and combined with breadcrumbs and oil.

This mixture is then fried to golden brown perfection before being placed over the lettuce bed with green mango salad, cashew nuts, and celery leaves.

You can serve the dish as a snack or as an entree with steamed rice.

7. Yaki Udon

A distant relative of Yakisoba, yaki udon is a delicious stir-fried udon noodle dish from Japan.

It’s traditionally made from fresh vegetables and meat (like ground beef, chicken, pork, and seafood), and then coated in umami-packed soy and mirin-based sauce.

8. Yaki-zakana

Yakizakana or yaki-zakana refers to all Japanese-style grilled fish dishes.

The fish (such as horse mackerel, salmon, cod, and needlefish) is salted or marinated with soy sauce or miso before being cooked over a hot grill.

It’s often served whole alongside a bowl of rice and miso soup.

This simple dish is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

9. Yakimono

Yakimono refers to Japanese dishes in which foods like fish, shellfish, vegetables, or meat are grilled, broiled, or pan-fried.

The ingredients are generally marinated in sauce or salted then cooked by direct exposure to fire or heat.

Yakimono is similar to the ancient Turkish cooking preparation popularly known as şiş (Shish), where soldiers impaled chunks of meat on their swords and cooked them into a fire.

10. Yangmei

Also known as yamamomo, yumberry, and waxberry, yangmei is an edible fruit predominantly found in China.

Its flavor profile is similar to strawberry and raspberry, but slightly more tart and it has a noticeable herbal taste.

Yangmei fruits that feature a deep and dark red hue are generally sweeter and best when eaten fresh.

This fruit can be dried, candied, pickled, canned, used to flavor teas, or even turn into alcoholic beverages.

11. Yogurt

Yogurt is a popular dairy product that’s created by the bacterial fermentation of milk.

It has a smooth and creamy texture with flavors ranging from sweet to sour.

Yogurt has endless possibilities–you can eat it as is, include it in your acai bowl, or even turn it into delicious fruity smoothies.

12. Yukon gold potato

A Yukon gold potato is a cross between a North American white potato and a wild South American yellow-fleshed one.

It has a medium to large size with a round to oblong shape.

This potato variety features smooth, thin, and gold to light brown skin and firm, moist, and waxy flesh.

It’s so versatile and can be used for mashing, grilling, frying, boiling, roasting, and sauteing.

Yukon gold potato pairs well with butter, garlic, bacon, cheese, and sage, basil, and oregano.

13. Yuca

Commonly known as cassava or manioc, yuca is an edible tuber from the cassava plant which is native to Brazil but now grown throughout South America.

Yuca has a mild flavor with a slight earthy bitterness. It pairs well with garlic, chili pepper, citrus, and cilantro.

14. Yuzu

Yuzu is a citrus fruit that’s native to China but grown throughout Japan and Korea.

It has a two to three-inches diameter and thick yellow skin.

The fruit is much sourer than other citrus fruits and is used as flavorings for vinegar, seasonings, and sauces.

In Japan, yuzu fruit is sometimes added to pastes, jellies, and tea.

It’s a good substitute for lemon and limes because the fruit has a similar acidity.

Due to its acidity, the fruit can be used as a substitute for lemons and limes.

15. Yukhoe

Yukhoe is the Korean version of steak tartare.

It’s made from a thinly sliced tenderloin or fillet steak marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and sugar then finished with raw egg yolk, sesame seeds, and scallion slices on top.

The origin of the dish is unknown but some claim that it originated in China.

16. Yusheng

Also dubbed as yee sang, yuu sahng, or Prosperity Toss, yusheng is a traditional cold salad consisting of raw fish, shredded vegetables, five-spice powder, plum sauce, hoisin sauce, and oil.

It’s commonly served during the Chinese New Year in Singapore and Malaysia.

It’s believed that eating yu sheng brings an abundance of prosperity and good health.

17. Yanpi

Yanpi is a special type of wrap made from a blend of lean pork meat, glutinous rice, and sweet potato flour.

The lean pork is mixed with glutinous rice then pounded into a paste.

This mixture is coated with sweet potato flour then turned into thin sheets before being hung and dried.

Yanpi is used as dumpling wrappers or sometimes served in soups.

18. Youtiao

Also called Chinese fried dough or Chinese crullers, youtiao is considered a breakfast staple in China and Southeast Asian countries.

This crispy indulgence is made from flour, baking powder, eggs, and baking soda.

The ingredients are mixed to form a dough then cut into strips.

Once done, these dough strips will be cooked in a deep-frying oil.

19. Yuca frita

Yuca frita is a strip of yuca (cassava) typically fried in deep oil.

This crispy side dish or snack is a great alternative to french fries or potatoes.

Yuca frita is delicious on its own but serving it alongside cilantro garlic sauce or lemon aioli sauce will make the dish more enjoyable.

The bottom line

Yas, queen, you are indubitably yukking it up here with us now as you read these silly yearnings.

Hope you got a good idea of what Y foods and meals you can make and try for yourself!