Foods That Start With U - How Many Have You Heard of? (2024)

Last Updated on May 2, 2021 by April

Are you on the hunt for foods that start with U? Maybe it is game night and you need a little cheat sheet to beat the competition. Or perhaps you are just curious. Either way, you have come to the right place.

Although there aren’t a ton of American foods that start with the letter U, there are loads from around the globe. Take African foods for instance; U is actually a common letter for foods to start within their culture.

So whether you are looking for exotic dishes, vegetables, fruits, or snacks that start with the letter U, you will find this list to be very handy!

Foods That Start With U

Here is the big list of foods starting with the letter U. Many will be familiar to you, while others you never even knew existed! You’ll be surprised how many fruits start with the letter U that you have never heard of.

Ube

It is possible you recognize ube from its surge in popularity on Instagram in 2019. There is good reason for this! It’s gorgeous and delicious to eat.

Wondering what ube actually is? Ube is a purple yam that is often used in Filipino cuisine. It has a subtle nutty taste with a hint of vanilla.

Fun Fact: Ube is often mixed up with another root vegetable called taro. They are not the same though! Ube is sweeter and used in desserts versus taro, which is typically used in savory dishes.

Already convinced of the power of ube? Read on to the next U food words for some examples of ube food in action.

Ube Bread/Pan de Ube

Ube bread (or ube pandesal, or pande sal ube) is a sweet Filipino breakfast food that’s made from dough of wheat flour and mashed boiled purple yam. It has butter on one side to give it flavor as well as color; this also works for the filling. One popular ube bread filling is ube jam, which includes mashed yam with sugar and butter.

The salty side of ube bread is usually made from either garlic or cheese, while siomai (a Filipino meat dumpling) can also be used as a filling on the other side. Sometimes they are even stuffed together to create one long sandwish-like bread.

The most popular place to find ube bread is at the morning market, where stalls are set up and people sell fresh batches of these in packs of five or six pieces for only a peso each (about $0.02).

Ube Halaya

Ube Halaya is a dessert made of mashed ube, coconut milk (or condensed milk), sugar, butter or margarine, vanilla extract, pandan leaves (optional) and salt. The mixture is cooked until thickened to desired consistency then served hot as pudding.

Ube Ice Cream

Ube ice cream makes for a refreshing summer treat, or a year-round treat if you live in a tropical climate like the Philippines.

Want to learn more about delicious ube? Here are the best ube dessert recipes you need to try.

Ububese Fruit

Ububese Fruit is a type of tree that grows in Nigeria. It can also be found in other countries around Africa, such as Ghana. The most common types are the white and black-skinned varieties.

There are many different ways to prepare Ububese fruit. It can be eaten raw in the form of fruit, or it can be cooked into dishes.

The Ububese Fruit is full of vitamins and minerals which are good for your health.

Ububese fruits grow as a seedling outwards from the trunk making them easy to cultivate but also prone to infestation by insects such as termites.

Udon Noodles

Udon noodles are made from wheat flour and salt. The dough is rolled into long ropes, then cut into sections that are boiled for a short period of time to make them chewy in texture. They can also be eaten cold or hot, depending on the dish they’re served with.

Ugali

Ugali is another dish that comes from East Africa. Some of its alternative names are ngima, obusama, obuchima, kimnyet, nshima, and ubugali. The main ingredients of this dish are white maize and cornmeal.

Ugli Fruit

Ugli fruit is a type of citrus grown in the Caribbean and other tropical climates. It was first discovered by European explorers who found it in Jamaica, hence its name, which comes from Jamaican patois for “ugly” or “unwanted.” The ugli fruit has flavors that are in between those of orange and grapefruit.

The ugli fruit is sometimes called a “Jamaican Grapefruit.” It has been used medicinally for centuries to treat stomachaches, fevers, coughs, asthma, diabetes, and weight loss. A potent antioxidant called naringenin found in the fruit has been shown to have potential against breast cancer.

There are many different types of ugli fruits, such as “gold” and “white.” The gold ugli is sweeter than its white counterpart because it lacks thin skin and contains more juice within the flesh.

Ugni Fruit

The ugni fruit has Latin origins and is often used in commercial strawberry flavoring.

Ugnspannkaka

Love a traditional breakfast served with pancakes and bacon? Don’t we all-but what if you could combine those two dishes into one savory dream meal? That is exactly what the ugnspannkaka does.

The ugnspannkaka is a baked Swedish recipe full of all those comforting feels. So if you are looking for the perfect oven pancake, check this dish out ASAP.

Ul Boov

Now for our first Mongolian U food! The ul boov dish is a traditional Mongolian recipe that has quite a bit of symbolism to it. It is a biscuit that is assembled in layers, with the number of layers in the cake representing the status of the family.

Every ul boov is unique as it is stamped with a wooden block that contains a pattern representing the family. This stamping block is passed down from generation to generation. Very cool!

The main ingredients of the ul boov biscuit are flour, salt water, sugar, sheep fat, and butter. Mm mm!

Uiro

Ever heard of mochi? That’s very similar to what uiro is-a traditional Japanese recipe. Uiro is made of rice flour and sugar and can often be found in desserts.

Ukha

Ukha is a delicious fish soup that is loved by many in Russia. Common ingredients are roots vegetables such as leek, potato, bay leaf, dill, parsley root, and tarragon.

Ukwa

Ukwa is a Nigerian bread recipe. In English, it is known as African breadfruit.

Ulava Charu

Our first Indian U food! Ulava charu is a soup recipe from South India, specifically from a state called Andhra Pradesh.

Ulluco

Many people in the United States haven’t heard of ulluco, but it is quite popular in South America. In fact, it is considered the second most important crop, after the potato.

Umami Burger

The umami burger features meat patties seasoned with umami sauce. This makes for an incredibly flavorful burger.

Umble Pie

Next time you are craving a savory pie, consider trying the umble pie. This English pie is filled with the heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys of an animal. Typically, a deer is used in umble pie.

Umbrella Fruit

The umbrella fruit is a sour fruit that is sometimes used in co*cktail recipes.

Umbricelli Pasta

Umbreicelli pasta is similar to spaghetti, but a bit thicker and shorter.

Umbu fruit

The umbu is a tropical fruit that is native to northeast Brazil.

Umbuzada

Umbuzada is a beverage that comes from the Northeast part of Brazil, and is widely loved.

Umeboshi

Japanese pickled plum; a popular flavor for sushi, umeboshi are made from the salted and dried plums. Ume is often translated as “sour” or “pickled.” The word boshi means ‘to preserve’ in Japanese. While umes can be preserved by fermentation methods without adding salt, most types of umeboshi use both salt and rice malt vinegar to give them their distinctive sour taste.

This type of preservation technique was developed centuries ago during periods when fresh produce was difficult to come by due to climate conditions or famine.

Umi-Budo

Umi budo is a Japanese appetizer that is also known as sea grapes or green caviar.

Umngqusho

Umngqusho is an African dish that has many variants. Common ingredients of this dish are onions, butter, sugar beans, samp, chillies, and lemons.

Unagi

A Japanese delicacy known as unagi is typically a freshwater eel that has been grilled over an open flame, often served with sake. In the United States, it is commonly sold in sushi restaurants and supermarkets where several varieties of packages are available for purchase. Unagi can be found refrigerated or frozen at markets that sell Asian food items.

Undhiyu

Undhiyu is an Indian dish that is regionally specific to Surat, Gujarat. The name of this dish translates to upside down.

Uni/Urchin

Uni is a seafood delicacy from Japan. Some people love it and some hate it! I happen to be one of the former. It’s got a briny, mineral taste that is very rich and luxurious. When you whisk in soy sauce, hot chili oil, wasabi powder, or other ingredients into uni, this creates an umami flavor bomb…mouthwatering goodness!

One important note about uni: don’t ever buy frozen because it tastes terrible when thawed out again. Always eat fresh and only eat raw if everything else on the menu has been tasty so far.

Unni Appam

Unni appam is a snack that has roots in India. Ingredients include roasted coconut pieces, ghee, cardamom powder, and roasted sesame seeds. It is fried in oil. Yum!

Upside-Down Cake

Upside down cake is a popular cake that is baked in one pan. Toppings are placed at the bottom of the pan and the cake is flipped over once finished baking.

Unpasteurized Cheese

Unpasteurized cheese can be found in specialty stores, and it’s sold as a raw product. This type of cheese has not been heated to kill the bacteria that may cause food poisoning or other more serious illnesses like botulism. It also carries health risks because any harmful agents could spread throughout the entire block of cheese if you cut into it without first cooking or freezing it for an extended period of time (up to 60 days).

The FDA requires all milk products containing dry-fermented dairy ingredients such as certain cheeses be made from pasteurized milk and aged at least sixty days before they are available for sale to help prevent outbreaks caused by these types of bacteria.

Unsalted Nuts

Unsalted nuts are also called “raw” or “in-shell.” They’re the original form in which they grow naturally before being processed by humans. The only difference between raw (unsalted) and salted almonds, pecans, and walnuts is that unsalted versions do not contain added sodium.

Unsweetened Chocolate

Unsweetened chocolate is a type of baking or cooking chocolate that has no sugar added

Upma

In India, upma is a breakfast dish. It’s typically made with semolina (a type of ground-up grain), onions, cumin seeds, and other spices. Upma can be served dry or sometimes cooked in water until it becomes soft.

Urad Beans

Urad beans are a type of legume. They’re also known as black gram, urd bean, and horse gram. This long-established crop in India is used to make products such as flour, noodles, or dal (a spicy lentil soup). This variety can be eaten whole after being boiled. You might have seen these on the menu at your favorite Indian restaurant!

Urad Dal

Urad dal is a lentil that is black in color, it’s often called the “black gram.” It has been an important part of India’s cuisine since ancient times and was grown for its rich soil content and as animal feed.

The agricultural process used to grow these legumes includes planting seeds into dry fields where they are watered by hand or drip irrigation – during this time between 20-50% of all crops will be lost due to birds scavenging for food.

Urap

The name of this dish is “urap” and it consists of rice, beans, corn kernels, ground beef or pork with onions. It can also be made with seafood such as shrimp in some countries like the Philippines.

This recipe will take about 50 minutes to make if you prepare a sauce but only 20-25 minutes without one.

Urava Fruit

The urava fruit is a red, oval-shaped berry with edible white flesh. The arils are small and seedless, making it easy to eat the entire fruit in one bite. This tropical tree fruit can be eaten raw or used as a flavor additive for many dishes, such as rice pudding and ice cream.

Urenebes

Urenebes are a type of biscuit that is made with ground beef, onion, and parsley. They are served as an appetizer in many homes before the main meal. Urenebes can be baked or fried.

Urfa Pepper Flakes / Urfa Biber

The Urfa pepper is a dried mild chili pepper that has been grown in Turkey since the 13th century. It starts with an “u” so it must be on this list! The pods are very thin and wrinkled, and when they mature they turn from green to red-brown. They have a fruity flavor similar to prunes or raisins (yum!).

A lot of people use them when cooking for added depth of flavor without too much heat – think about adding some chopped-up peppers into the chicken soup before you add the broth. For those who like higher levels of spice, you can dry fry them over low heat for 30 minutes until browned and crispy, then grind them up using mortar & pestle.

Urgela Cheese

Uregla cheese is a type of fresh, soft white cheese made in Bulgaria and Greece. Its name translates to “queen” from Bulgarian (владице) or Greek (βασίλισσα) as it was once believed that the Queen loved this particular variety of cheese. It’s used mainly for cooking like dishes with vegetables such as aubergines and courgettes.

Usal

Usal is a spicy and tangy dish that originates from Maharashtra, India. It consists of boiled vegetables like potatoes, carrots and green beans in an onion-tomato sauce spiced with the ground chili pepper called ‘sambar powder’.

It has been eaten by Maharashtrians for centuries as both breakfast and dinner on special occasions such as weddings or festivals like Diwali. In cities outside Maharashtra, it can be found at restaurants serving Indo-Maharashtra cuisine.

Usban

Usban is a type of fish. It’s also called the Japanese whiting and can be found in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, and other parts of Southeast Asia. Usban typically lives around rocky shores as well as reefs at depths from 20 to 180 feet (about six meters). The meat is white with red stripes on it; this can sometimes cause a pink tinge when the fish has been cooked for too long.

Ustipci

Ustipci is made of cheese, flour, and eggs.

Usuma Fruit

Usuma fruit is a type of citrus from Southeast Asia. It has an orange-yellow colour and tastes sour. Usuma are collected by hand, including the skin and seeds, before they are dried in the sun for about two days to soften them up. They can be eaten as such – or used whole or sliced in salads

Uszka

Uszka is a Polish dumpling made from either lamb, beef, or pork. The filling may also contain rice and onion.

One traditional way of cooking uszka is to cook them in boiling water for about 20 minutes before frying them with onions in hot oil until browned on both sides.

Utap

Utap is a type of rice porridge in Korean cuisine. It is typically made from white or brown rice, boiled with water, and then mixed with other ingredients such as carrots, taro root, pumpkin soup mirepoix (cubed onions, celery, and carrot) to form a thick paste that might contain beef or seafood stock.

It can be served either hot or cold depending on the season. Utap can also refer to any dish involving cooked grains that are eaten for breakfast; this includes cream of wheat cereal. The word utap comes from the Korean verb ‘utapta’ meaning “to boil” but it is unclear how the term came into existence since Koreans do not traditionally boil their rice.

Utazi

Utazi is a traditional East African dish made with mashed maize flour, water and salt.

Uthappam

A traditional Kerala dish made from rice, coconut and spices. The word Uthappam means ‘puffed’ in the Malayalam language. It is a popular breakfast item among people of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka regions as well as Sri Lanka due to its versatility which can be enjoyed with vegetables or chutney on top.

Uunijuusto

Uunijuusto is a Finnish cheese that means “raw cream.” It can be eaten fresh, as it has a mild flavor and non-firm texture. The cheese does not need to be warmed up or have salt applied before serving.

Uzouza Leaf

Uzouza leaf is a traditional Japanese vegetable, often used for soup stock. Made from the leaves of the konbu seaweed plant and dried before eating, this savory ingredient can be made into thin sheets or ground to use as seasoning in soups. Uzouza has an earthy flavor that imparts taste without being as salty as other types of seaweed.

It’s available in many specialty grocery stores and Asian markets, but if you can’t find it locally, try looking for konbu at a general-purpose supermarket with an international food section. You may have to buy the whole sheet rather than the shredded type that is usually found on store shelves.

FAQ-Food Words That Start With The Letter U

Check out these foods that start with U as a quick reference next time you are at trivia night.

What Are Some Snacks That Start With U?

Need some U snacks for trivia night? Unsweetened applesauce, unsalted pretzels, ugli fruit, ugni fruit, ube bread, and ukwa are wonderful snacks that start with U.

What is a Fruit That Starts With U?

The umbrella fruit, umbu fruit, umeboshi, usuma, and urava are all fruits that start with U.

List of Foods That Start With U

• Ube
• Ube Bread/Pan de Ube
• Ube Halaya
• Ube Ice Cream
• Ububese Fruit
• Udon Noodles
• Ugali
• Ugli Fruit
• Ugni Fruit
• Ugnspannkaka
• Ul Boov
• Uiro
• Ukha
• Ukwa
• Ulava Charu
• Ulluco
• Umami Burger
• Umble Pie
• Umbrella Fruit
• Umbricelli Pasta
• Umbu fruit
• Umbuzada
• Umeboshi
• Umi-Budo
• Umngqusho
• Unagi
• Undhiyu
• Uni/Urchin
• Unni Appam
• Upside-Down Cake
• Unpasteurized Cheese
• Unsalted Nuts
• Unsweetened Chocolate
• Upma
• Urad Beans
• Urad Dal
• Urap
• Urava Fruit
• Urenebes
• Urfa Pepper Flakes / Urfa Biber
• Urgela Cheese
• Usal
• Usban
• Ustipci
• Usuma Fruit
• Uszka
• Utap
• Utazi
• Uthappam
• Uunijuusto