16+ Foods That Start With Z – Bet You Haven’t Heard of Them

The world is brimming with amazing and delicious food items, and this article concludes our series on foods from A-Z.

If you’re looking for a new food experiment or a way to explain the most bizarre food you’ve come across, we’ve likely discussed the topic within one of our alphabetical articles.

17 Foods That Begin With the Letter Z

1. Zabergau Reinette

Zabergau Reinettes are an extensive variety of apples. They’re russet , and have the appearance of a metallic-like, light copper color that contrasts with its bright, green skin. The flesh is extremely light yellow and features fine grains.

It’s a German breed that is an heirloom. The word “reinette” is French for princess, and suggests that the tree’s origin was seeds, not the grafts.

Zabergau apples are cooked because they develop an apricot-like flavor when they get older and taste more appealing than when freshly harvested from the trees. If they are picked at the right time, they will be the most delicious, spicy, and nutty taste.

2. Zaghloul Dates

Zaghloul dates are grown mainly throughout the Middle East and can be difficult to obtain from the US. They are often referred to as ‘red dates’ as they feature deep red or burgundy-colored outer skin. However, the fleshy inside is bright white.

These dates have a very firm texture in fresh forms, like an apple. They’re not as fibrous as other dates, however, they’re just as sweet as one would think a date would be.

Its flavor is more sophisticated than many flavors, with flavors of cinnamon and an unexpected astringency.

3. Zander Fish

Zander fish are a popular game fish in freshwaters in Western Eurasia, considered the most valuable fish for food in Europe.

In the 1980s in the 80s, they were introduced to North Dakota to stockfish as a species during the 80s in North Dakota though they’re pre-emptively being considered to be an invasive species throughout Ontario, Canada because if they do make it into the Great Lakes, they will compete with native species.

They’re ray-finned fish that are related to perches. They’re a firm white flesh that is soft and delicate and has a small number of bones. They’re extremely versatile, can be eaten as fillets or whole, and is equally delicious cooked or smoked.

4. Zapote

Zapotes often referred to as sapodillas or even sapotes, thrive within tropical forests of Central America and nearby regions. The fruit has hard brown, woody rinds that peel off surprisingly quickly, similar to citrus fruits.

The inside of the fruit is an intense, vibrant orange or coral hue. Although it is strangulated, its texture is very like avocados. The flavor is closer to that of figs and sweeter than jam.

Zapotes contain a large amount of saponin, a substance which is very stringy and leaves your mouth dry.

5. Zapallo Loche

Zapallo loches is a Peruvian squashes that are bottles-shaped, oblong or Crookneck. They are covered in dusty, blue-green skin , which is covered with knobs and bumps.

This variety of squash is known for having the most delicious flavor when picked young, which is why they’re not allowed to increase more than 2 pounds. The flesh is hard, golden yellow and quite smooth.

The flavor could be compared to butternut squash, which has been spiced. It’s a versatile vegetable and is typically eaten raw and grated or cooked in chunks or blended into soup.

6. Zapallo Macre

Zapallo Macre is another type of squash indigenous to Peru but it is much larger than Loche. The fruits can reach up to two feet in diameter. They tend to be round with an elongated, grooved and distinctive dark-green rind.

The flesh inside is bright light yellow, or pale orange, and extremely dense. It is a huge central cavity that is filled with spongy, stringy fibres as well as soft seeds.

Macre is a Macre varieties of squash are cooked and cooked either by roasting or baked. The flesh becomes soft and creamy and has subtle sweetness.

7. Zebra Eggplant

Zebra eggplants are so beautiful they’re almost impossible to consume. They are sometimes referred to as graffiti eggplants, stripes, and even fairytale-themed eggplants. Their pink-purple skin is streaked with white and are significantly smaller than traditional eggplants.

They can be cooked the same way as they are prepared in the same way a typical eggplant can be prepared. They are great for grilling, roasting or tossing in a delicious tomato sauce.

They’re the least bitter of all eggplants due to their thin skin and the tiny seeds. Their taste is sweeter, closer to a fruit, than an vegetable.

8. Zebra Melon

Zebra melons are indigenous to Indonesia but they’re also grown throughout Europe as well as Northern Africa and exported to all over the world. The melons have a smoky gray-green rind which is rough. The darker green vertical stripes run along the length of melons.

Inside, the flesh is of a deep salmon hue. The fruit is soft and extremely juicy, despite being it is quite dense. The seeds are placed within a central space that is a bit looser and thin texture.

Melons are extremely fragrant with a distinct floral aroma. The flavor is not as complicated, it is more honey-sweet.

9. Zebra Tomatoes

Zebra tomatoes are available in green, red as well as yellow variety. No matter what shade the outer skin on these tomatoes is covered with vertical stripes. This is what gives the fruit their name.

Green zebra tomatoes tend to be round and smooth, while the yellow and red ones tend to have a more prominent lopsided shape, and have noticeable grooves along their stripes.

Zebra tomatoes are balanced sweet and tart with light acidity and an astringency of just a little. They are also known for being very succulent.

10. Zhe Fruit

Zhe fruits are sometimes referred to as Chinese Mulberries even though they’re not actually part of the Mulberry family. They appear strikingly similar but their name makes sense.

The berries are found on trees across East Asia. They form groups of tiny ovals, with a bumpy, lopsided shape. They have bright red and develops into a deeper red with black spots when they mature. The soft, juicy flesh is a little chewy.

Every berry differs in flavor due to the fact that inside the group the berries ripen at various speeds. The mature fruit will be extremely sweet, and resembles an amelon-melon cross and the fruit called a fig.

11. Zig-Zag Vine Fruit

Zig-zag vines are also known as acid drop vines, are found throughout the forests of Australia. It is a bushy, tall climbing vine that yields groups of orange globe-shaped fruit all year round.

The fruits are spicy with a sweet citrus taste that could be like orange sherbert. They’re used extensively in the making of drinks, such as liquors or rich sauces

12. Zinfandel Grapes

If you’re an avid drinker of wine, then you might have had the pleasure of hearing about Zinfandel. Based on the region you’re in purchasing the bottle, you could be gifted an impressive red or a sweet-smelling rose, known as White Zinfandel, which is very widely used across the US.

Zinfandel grapes contain a high sugar content which when fermented can result in alcohol levels that exceed 15 percent.

The taste of grapes is influenced by the temperature they are exposed to during the time they are growing. Zinfandel that is cool-weather will have the aroma of raspberries, while those from warmer climates tend to be more blueberry-like with the aroma of anise and pepper.

13. Ziti

Ziti is a kind of pasta that is shaped similarly to penne, but with ridges that cover every surface.

The most frequent use of ziti can be described as baking ziti it is a casserole from Italy. creation that features tomatoes, different kinds of cheese and the ingredients you choose for filling including ground meat as well as mushrooms, peppers or onions.

14. Zizania Latifolia

Zizania is a rare variety from wild Manchurian rice. In the past, in China it was a major food source for the country, but in recent years , it is almost gone.

When the rice plant is being cultivated in the present, it’s usually for the stems , not it being cultivated for the wild rice. The stems are susceptible to a fungus which causes the plant to thicken and grow more quickly. After they’ve been harvested the stems can be cooked or consumed raw.

15. Ziziphus Fruit

Ziziphus fruit also known as ziziphus Jujuba, Jubube fruit or zuzunbi Jujubes, is an Chinese fruit that is similar to dates in red. They are oval or round with wrinkled deep red brown skin.

The flesh inside is transparent and white. It is also very green, with one small, inedible piece within the center. The fruits are firm and slightly gritty in texture, much like the texture of a pear or apple.

Ziziphus fruits are typically consumed fresh, when they are picked. All of them, except the pit, are edible, and they can be very sweet, or possess more subtle notes of tanginess and tartness.

16. Zucchini

Zucchini is one the most loved summer squashes around the world. The cylindrical, oblong squash features a dark green, smooth shiny skin and a creamy white flesh. The texture is slightly spongy and delicate.

They are very mild in flavor , but are great in sauces that absorb the flavors of the surrounding. They can also be utilized in dessert recipes like pancakes, muffins, or bread loaves.

17. Zuriat Fruit

Zuriat fruit is a variety of palm tree that is indigenous to Northern Africa. It is exported across a lot of Asia and also.

The fruit develops into ovals, typically three to four inches in diameter. They have a woody fibrous brown skin that is covered with bumps as well as divots. Inside is a fibrous, spongey flesh, which protects a massive seed that covers most of the middle portion of the product.

The flesh is typically consumed by hand or baked into cakes or sweet bread. It’s crunchy and has a balanced sweet and tart taste, which is often associated with gingerbread. It is also edible and most likely to be prepared as a vegetable. It can be cooked or baked.