Food In Spanish: Our Full Guide to Spanish Food Words
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More infoEating and food is a topic that no one can avoid in any language, so being able to talk about food in Spanish will come in handy in any context. Whether you are planning to go to the supermarket or you are out with friends at a restaurant, this post will make your Spanish food interactions easier.
Today we bring you all the vocabulary related to food in Spanish. We will provide you with a wide spectrum of words for talking about food in Spanish, dividing the vocabulary into different groups according to types of food: grains and cereals, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and meat. In addition, we’ll add some more specific food items such as spices and condiments. Finally, we’ll include a section with some important food names in Spanish, such as typical dishes, and other words necessary to talk about food in Spanish, such as mealtimes.
Now let’s get started on our post about food in Spanish!
Grains and Cereals – Los Granos y los Cereales
Consuming grains, particularly whole grains, offers numerous health advantages. Regular grain consumption may lower the risk of certain diseases. Grains are a rich source of essential nutrients that are crucial for maintaining and nurturing our bodies. What’s more, many of these grains are especially popular in Spanish-speaking countries. These are all reasons why knowing how to order or talk about grains in Spanish is so important.
Here’s our list of granos y cereales in Spanish. Note that we’ve also included some derivatives and grain-based products.
| Food words in English | Food words in Spanish |
| Amaranth | El amaranto |
| Barley | La cebada |
| Bread | El pan |
| Bulgur wheat | El trigo de bulgur |
| Brown rice | Arroz integral |
| Buckwheat | El trigo sarraceno |
| Corn | El maíz, El choclo |
| Cookies | Las galletas |
| Couscous | El cuscús |
| Flour | La harina |
| Kamut | El trigo oriental |
| Millet | El mijo |
| Muesli | El muesli |
| Oatmeal | La harina de avena |
| Oats | La avena |
| Popcorn | El pochoclo, Las palomitas de maíz |
| Quinoa | La quinoa |
| Rice | El arroz |
| Rice crackers, Rice cakes | Las galletas de arroz |
| Rolled oats | Los copos de avena |
| Rye | El centeno |
| Whole-wheat bread | El pan de trigo integral |
| Whole grain cornmeal | La harina de maíz integral |
| Wild rice | Arroz salvaje |
Vegetables – Los Vegetales
Now we are moving onto another key list of food words in Spanish: los vegetales. Vegetables come in a wide variety of colors and shapes from all around the world, particularly in Latin American countries, so we can imagine that you’ll find the following list of food items in Spanish really interesting!
| Food words in English | Food words in Spanish |
| Achachairú | El achachairú, El achacha |
| Artichoke | La alcachofa, El aucaucil |
| Asparagus | Los espárragos |
| Beet | La remolacha |
| Broccoli | El brócoli |
| Brussel sprout | El col de brusela |
| Cabagge | El repollo |
| Carrot | La zanahoria |
| Cauliflower | El coliflor |
| Celery | El apio |
| Chilean wineberry | El maqui |
| Cupuaçu | El copoazú |
| Cucumber | El pepino |
| Eggplant | La berenjena |
| Garlic | El ajo |
| Kohlrabi | El colinabo |
| Leek | El puerro |
| Lettuce | La lechuga |
| Mushroom | El champiñón |
| Onion | La cebolla |
| Pepper | El pimiento |
| Potato | La papa |
| Pumpkin | La calabaza |
| Radish | El rábano |
| Rosehip | La rosa mosqueta, El escaramujo |
| Spinach | La espinaca |
| Sweet potato | La batata, El boniato |
| Swiss chard | La acelga |
| Tomato | El tomate |
| Turnip | El nabo |
| Watercress | El berro |
| Yam | El ñame |
| Zucchini | El calabacín |
Fruits – Las Frutas
Fruits are generally low in fat and free of cholesterol, making them a nutritious choice for everyone. Plus, they’re usually very delicious, and they contain lots of unique vitamins and nutrients!
In Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Latin America, there is an abundance of delightful fruits that you may not be familiar with. Knowing the names of these fruits would be a fantastic idea, especially if you’re planning a trip to Latin America or if you’re eager to try them for the first time!
| Food words in English | Food words in Spanish |
| Apple | La manzana |
| Apricot | El albaricoque, El damasco |
| Avocado | El aguacate, La palta |
| Banana | La banana, El plátano |
| Blackberry | La mora |
| Blueberry | El arándano |
| Cashew | El marañón |
| Chestnut | La castaña |
| Cherry | La cereza |
| Cocona | La cocona |
| Coconut | El coco |
| Cranberry | El arándano rojo |
| Date | El dátil |
| Fig | El higo |
| Golden berry | La uchuva |
| Grapes | Las uvas |
| Guava | La guayaba |
| Guineps | El mamón, El mamoncillo |
| Jabuticaba | El guapurú |
| Loquat | El níspero |
| Lucuma | La lúcuma, El lúcumo |
| Lychee | El lichi |
| Mangosteen | El mangostino |
| Melon | El melón |
| Papaya | La papaya |
| Passion fruit | La granadilla |
| Peach | El durazno, El melocotón |
| Pear | La pera |
| Pineapple | La piña |
| Pitaya, Dragon fruit | La pitahaya, La fruta del dragón |
| Pistachio | El pistacho |
| Plum | La ciruela |
| Pomegranate | La granada |
| Quince | El membrillo |
| Rambutan | El rambután |
| Red banana passionfruit | La curuba |
| Soursop | La guanábana |
| Star fruit | La carambola |
| Strawberry | La fresa, La frutilla |
| Tamarillo | El tomate de árbol |
| Tamarind | El tamarindo |
| Watermelon | La sandía, La patilla |
As you may have noticed, many of the fruits have different names in Spanish according to the regional variety of Spanish. This is a very normal situation when it comes to vocabulary. So much so that we have a dedicated post on bananas in Spanish!
Dairy Products – Los Lácteos
Los lácteos are the dairy products, which can be either ingredients for different dishes or consumed on their own. The following list of dairy products in Spanish will come in handy at the supermarket, at a restaurant, or in the kitchen.
| Food words in English | Food words in Spanish |
| Butter | La mantequilla |
| Cheese | El queso |
| Condensed milk | La leche condensada |
| Cottage cheese | El requesón |
| Cream | La crema |
| Cream cheese | El queso crema |
| Ice cream | El helado |
| Lactose-free milk | La leche deslactosada |
| Milk | La leche |
| Milk caramel | El dulce de leche |
| Powdered milk | La leche en polvo |
| Skim milk | Leche descremada |
| Sour cream | La crema agria |
| Whey | El suero de leche |
| Whole milk | Leche entera |
| Whipped cream | La crema batida |
| Yogurt | El yogur |
Meat – Las Carnes
Meat in Spanish-speaking countries is an essential food group. The following list mainly refers to different types of meat coming from different types of animals.
If you’re in a restaurant you can simply order las carnes by their names. For additional restaurant vocabulary, check out our post on how to order food in Spanish. Note that vegetarians need to be explicit, since many Latin Americans don’t even think of chicken or seafood as meat!
| Food words in English | Food words in Spanish |
| Bacon | El tocino, La panceta |
| Beef | La res |
| Beefsteak | El bistec |
| Chicken | El pollo |
| Calamari | El calamar |
| Crab | El cangrejo |
| Duck | El pato |
| Fish | El pescado |
| Goose | El ganso |
| Ground meat | La carne picada, La carne molida |
| Ham | El jamón |
| Lamb | El cordero |
| Lobster | La langosta |
| Pork | El cerdo |
| Prawn | El langostino |
| Rabbit | El conejo |
| Roast beef | El rosbif |
| Salami | El salame |
| Sausage | La salchicha |
| Seafood | Los mariscos |
| Shrimp | El camarón |
| Turkey | El pavo |
| Octopus | El pulpo |
| Oysters | Las ostras |
| Veal | La ternera |
Starting off our list of Spanish meat words was bacon. This food in Spanish is quite special because it may be named different ways with different meanings, so much so that we have an entire post on bacon in Spanish!
Spices and Condiments – Las Especias y los Condimentos
In Latin culture, seasonings play a vital role in enhancing even the simplest dishes. If you’re interested in learning how to identify food items in Spanish, it is essential to familiarize yourself with the names of las especias y los condimentos. To assist you with this, we have compiled a list of the most popular spices in Spanish, including several common condiments.
If you’re working on a recipe, we can recommend our comprehensive post on measurements in Spanish, as well as our big vocab post about tools and utensils in a Spanish kitchen.
| Food words in English | Food words in Spanish |
| Anise | El anís |
| Annato | El achiote |
| Barberry | El agracejo |
| Basil | La albahaca |
| Bay laurel | El laurel |
| Blue ginger | La galanga |
| Cardamom | El cardamomo |
| Chia seeds | Las semillas de chía |
| Chili pepper | El chile |
| Chives | El cebollino |
| Clove | El clavo de olor |
| Coriander | El coriandro, El cilantro |
| Cumin | El comino |
| Dill | El eneldo |
| Ketchup | La salsa de tomate, La kétchup |
| Juniper berry | El enebro |
| Lemongrass | El malojillo, El cedrón |
| Maca, Peruvian ginseng | La maca |
| Mayonnaise | La mayonesa |
| Mexican herb tea | El epazote |
| Mint | La menta |
| Mustard | La mostaza |
| Mustard seeds | Las semillas de mostaza |
| Nutmeg | La nuez moscada |
| Parsley | El perejil |
| Pepper | La pimienta |
| Peppermint | La hierbabuena |
| Rosemary | El romero |
| Saffron | El azafrán |
| Sage | La salvia |
| Salt | La sal |
| Star anise | El anís estrellado |
| Tarragon | El estragón |
| Thyme | El tomillo |
| Turmeric | La cúrcuma |
| Vanilla | La vainilla |
Other Useful Food Words in Spanish
The culinary world in Spanish is huge. So far we’ve learned how to name a wide variety of food items in Spanish.
In our last sections here, we’ll point out some additional Spanish food vocab related to mealtimes and dishes.
Mealtimes
We have specific names for mealtimes in Spanish, just as you do in English. In this section, we’ll learn the names for each one.
In Spanish, we also have unique verbs for several of our mealtimes, such as almorzar, meaning to have lunch. The verbs we present here are regular -ar verbs.
A unique mealtime in this list is la merienda, which is an afternoon snack. This term is necessary for Spanish-speaking countries because people normally don’t eat dinner until around 9pm or 10pm. We need this other light snacktime between lunch and dinner!
| English | Spanish |
| Breakfast | El desayuno |
| Lunch | El almuerzo |
| Afternoon snack | La merienda |
| Dinner | La cena |
| To have breakfast | Desayunar |
| To have lunch | Almorzar |
| To have the afternoon snack | Merendar |
| To have dinner | Cenar |
If you find yourself sharing a meal with Spanish speakers, you’ll surely encounter the important expression ¡Buen provecho!, meaning Enjoy your meal! We introduce this traditional idiomatic phrase and much more in our related post on table etiquette in Spanish.
A selection of dishes in Spanish
The names for food dishes in Spanish could be endless, so we’ll just provide a few of the basic ones here to get you started. We recommend our related post if you want to delve further into some of the most important regional dishes in Hispanic cuisine.
| English | Spanish |
| Barbecue | El asado, La barbacoa |
| Hamburger | La hamburguesa |
| Fries | Las papas fritas |
| Hot dog | El perrito caliente, El hotdog, El pancho |
| Meat balls | Las albóndigas |
| Roasted meat | La carne asada |
| Salad | La ensalada |
| Sandwich | El sánguche, El sándwich |
| Scrambled eggs | Los huevos revueltos |
| Soup | La sopa |
| Spanish omelette | La tortilla española |
| Spicy potatoes | Las patatas bravas, Las papas bravas |
Conclusion
Today we presented several lists of food names in Spanish, covering all the main categories of ingredients. Starting with grains and cereals, and then fruits and vegetables, we moved on to milk products, meats, and spices. We rounded out the post with some useful vocab for Spanish mealtimes, while also introducing a few important prepared foods in Spanish.
Of course this whole lesson could never end, since there’s just such an endless variety of foods in Spanish! We included a number of links to our related posts where you can go deeper into a few of the specifics we touched on here.
Overall though, today’s post should give you enough confidence to dive into the world of food in Spanish, whether preparing tasty meals in the kitchen or ordering a delicious new dish at a restaurant! ¡Buen provecho!
