There are so many amazing foods that start with the letter D, it’s hard to figure out where to even begin!
We could talk about dates and deli meat, but those are too easy.
How about dulce de leche? It’s one of our favorites because it makes delicious caramel! But there’s also dark chocolate, dragon fruit- both of which start with “D.” And don’t forget donuts! They’re a favorite for breakfast as well as desserts. There’s Durian, Danishes…and more! So let’s see the list below to find some that you may have not thought about.
Contents
List of Foods That Start With D
Donuts
Donuts are sweet, deep-fried pastries that can be eaten for breakfast or dessert. They come in many different shapes and sizes, with the spherical donut hole being the most basic form.
Dragon fruit
Dragon fruit, also marketed as pitaya or strawberry pear, is a tropical and subtropical fruit native to southeastern Asia. The inside of the fruit has pink flesh with black seeds. It tastes like a mix between kiwifruit and bananas. It is grown commercially in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and parts of Asia.
Dates
Dates are the fruits of Date Palm trees, which grow in temperate and subtropical climates. Dates are high in fiber and a great source of Vitamin A. They can be eaten fresh or dried.
Deli Meat
Deli meats are processed meats that have been prepared at a deli, which is a retail establishment, serving sliced, ready-to-eat food. Most deli meats are sliced into thin sheets using a meat slicer or a large knife.
Dulse
Dulse is a red edible seaweed, usually found in the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It can be added to soups or stews or eaten by itself as a snack.
Dragon Tongue Bean
Dragon Tongue Beans are a variety of long, flat green beans. They have a mild flavor and can be used in most dishes that call for beans.
Duck Roast
Duck Roast is a Chinese dish that consists of roast duck that has been chopped into small pieces and then roasted with soy sauce, rice wine, star anise, dark soy sauce, and other flavorings. It’s a popular item at hot pot dinners.
Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are hard-boiled eggs that have been shelled and cut in half, with the yolks being removed and mixed with a variety of ingredients such as mayonnaise and mustard. They’re typically garnished with paprika, chopped chives or parsley, or other small toppings.
Dried fruit
Some of the most popular dried fruits are dates, apricots, prunes, figs, and raisins. Dried fruits provide an easy way to add sweetness and flavor to a wide range of foods, from oatmeal to chocolate.
Dover Sole
Dover Sole is a type of flatfish that is found in the North Atlantic Ocean. It’s typically served whole with the head removed, but can also be filleted. The skin should be left on when cooking because it adds extra flavor and juiciness to the dish.
Dill
Dill is a tall herb with feathery leaves and small yellow flowers. It’s typically used in the preparation of pickles, salmon, and other seafood dishes. It’s also used to flavor many sauces, soups, and salads.
Durum Wheat
Durum wheat is a type of wheat that contains more gluten than other varieties, so it can be made into pasta. It’s also used to make couscous and bulgur. It has an amber color and a nutty flavor.
Dandelion greens
Dandelion greens are bright green leaves that are often used in salads, soups, and stir-fries. The flavor is earthy with bitter undertones. It is also known as “dandelion salad.”
Draft Beer
Draft beer is also known as cask-conditioned beer, real ale, tap beer, or draught beer. It’s an unfiltered and unpasteurized version of regular canned or bottled beers that has a short shelf life (generally about 30 days). A keg is the most common form of draft beer sold in bars and restaurants.
Dump cake
Dump cake is a type of dessert that requires no special equipment or skills to prepare. It’s simply a layer of fruit piled into a baking pan, covered in cake batter, and then baked until done.
Drum Fish
Drumfish is a type of freshwater fish that can be found in the United States throughout the Mississippi River valley from Minnesota all the way down to Louisiana. It has a mild, sweet flavor and dense texture with a large amount of visible fat.
Desert Yam
Desert yam is a tuber vegetable that grows in tropical climates. It’s similar to sweet potatoes and can be used in recipes calling for either one of them. Other names include “white Yam,” “water yam,” or “Miami yam.”
Detar
Detar is a Hausa word that refers to a form of vegetable relish made from vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, and onions. It’s popular in Ghana, Nigeria, and other parts of Africa.
Diamond white bell peppers
Diamond white bell peppers are sweet peppers that are more tender than most other bell peppers. They’re round, with thick white flesh and mild flavor. It is preferred over green bell peppers for salads and other raw dishes.
Desert Quandong
Desert Quandong is a type of Australian native plant that produces fruit with a hard, woody exterior. The reddish flesh inside tastes like cranberries or pears. It’s also known by the names “native peach,” “native apricot,” and “red berry.”
Daikon radish
Daikon radish is a large root vegetable with white skin and crisp, juicy flesh. It has an extremely pungent odor when raw but has a mild flavor when cooked. It can be eaten in salads, pickled, or cooked.
Daab Chingri
Daab Chingri is a spiced seafood dish that’s popular in Bangladesh and neighboring regions of eastern India. It’s made with prawns (or shrimp) that are fried before being added to the spicy mixture of vegetables, rice powder, lemon juice, and spices.
Danishes
A Danish is a type of rich, flaky pastry that’s filled with fruit or cheese and often glazed with icing. It can be made using a variety of different fillings, shapes, and preparations.
Dasheen
Dasheen is a type of starchy root vegetable that’s native to Africa and Asia. It has long, wide leaves and creamy-colored flesh. The leaves can be prepared like spinach or the root cooked and eaten as a whole or mashed.
Dredge Oyster
Oysters dredged in a thick seasoned flour mixture, then fried until golden brown. They are often served with piquant cocktail sauce, which can be either white or red. It’s not an oyster’s shell, but a dredging of seasoned flour.
Dilkush Bread
Dilkush Bread is a soft, white-leavened bread from Iran made from wheat flour and yeast. The dough is beaten by hand until it becomes very smooth, then covered and left to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes. After this time has passed, the dough is divided into several pieces, rolled out, and pressed with different shapes to form the unique pattern on the top of this bread.
Dumpling
A dumpling is a piece of dough, often wrapped around a filling. Dumplings may be cooked by boiling in a soup or fried or steamed. Dumplings can be savory or sweet depending on the variety of ingredients used.
Dulce de Leche
Dulce de Leche is a type of confection prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk until the sugar caramelizes. It has a dark brown color and its flavor resembles butterscotch. It is popular in many countries, including the Philippines (where it’s called manjol), Latin America, Iberia, and South Asia.
Dory
A dory is a traditional type of small, narrow boat. However, it’s not just a boat- this fish has elongated silver sides marked with a distinctive pattern of lines and dots. Its underbelly is always pale gray. It has a long straight nose, chin whiskers, and a deeply forked tail. This fish is mainly found in the North Atlantic Ocean and is most commonly eaten in France.
Dang jo cheongyang peppers
Dang jo cheongyang peppers are a long, thin chili pepper used in Korean cuisine. Their name means “earth dragon fruit,” due to their burgundy color and pointed tips. They’re grown in South Korea and go well in many types of spicy stews and soups.
Dip
A dip is a food that is an edible substance usually used for dipping. Dips are known as spreads in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, although these are different from dips in that they are thicker and used to coat the food with thick sauces. It is often confused with salsa, a food dip originating in Mexico.
Demerara Sugar
Demerara sugar is coarse, light brown sugar. It is so named because it originally came from the Demerara region in Guyana. It has large crystals and a light brown color, hence the name of the sugar (demerara is French for “sugar from Demerara”).
Desert Lime
Desert limes are the fruit of the West Indian citrus tree. They are native to Jamaica but are grown in Florida and other areas. They’re green and yellow, about two to three inches in diameter, and shaped like a spheroid. The fruits are very tart but fragrant and are often used to make preserves.
Divinity
Divinity is a type of hard candy, often used as a decoration or mixed with other ingredients. It consists of boiled sugar, water, and egg whites, and is roughly equivalent to what Americans call fondant. The candy can be made any color by adding coloring before it’s cooked in the syrup.
Dynamite Shrimp
Dynamite shrimp is a dish made of jumbo shrimp that are cooked in a spicy tomato sauce, then mixed with melted butter. The dish is very similar to scampi, but it’s usually much hotter due to the addition of chili peppers to the sauce.
Dosa
A dosa is a type of pancake made from fermented rice batter and black lentils. It originated in South India, but it can be found in many places throughout India, Sri Lanka, and other nearby areas. It’s usually served with chutney or sambar.
Domsiah Rice
Domsiah Rice is a rice dish commonly consumed in Afghanistan. It consists of fried chunks of lamb, rice, raisins, powdered sugar, almonds, saffron, and cardamom. It is either served on its own or with qormah (a type of soup) and shormeh sabzi (another dish).
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is a type of sweet chocolate. It contains cocoa solids and cocoa butter, but much less sugar than milk chocolate. Its flavor has hints of berries, vanilla, and spicy undertones. It is usually dark brown in color, but some varieties have a lighter chocolate color.
Dahl (Daal)
Daal is a dish originating in India. It consists of lentils, water, salt, and spices. The lentils can be whole or ground into a paste. Different types of dal are cooked for different lengths of time- mung dal, for example, is very light and is cooked for only a few minutes.
Daiquiri
A daiquiri is a cocktail made from rum, lime juice, and sugar. Some variations use strawberries or raspberries to add flavor. Other variations include the Cuba Libre, a rum and coke cocktail that uses lime juice in place of lemon juice.
Delirio sweet peppers
Delirio sweet peppers are a sweet pepper cultivar. It is related to the Dedo de Moca pepper, and has a similar shape and flavor. It’s often used as a roasting pepper or stuffed with meat and rice to make dolmas.
Davidson’s Plum
Davidson’s plum is a type of fruit. It has a sweet, tart flavor and black or maroon skin with greenish-yellow mottling. It’s related to the mirabelle plum of Europe, and can be eaten raw or made into jam, jelly, or preserves.
Dolichos Beans
Dolichos beans are a variety of kidney beans that is commonly found in Latin American cuisine. They are similar to black-eyed peas, but are larger and have a different flavor. They are often used in soups, stews, or boiled with spices as an appetizer.
Dijon mustard
Dijon mustard is a type of brown mustard. It’s made from the reduced white wine and has quite a bit of spice to it. Dijon mustard was originally made in Dijon, France, but is now made by many different manufacturers.
Durian
Durian is a large fruit that’s native to Southeast Asia. It has a strong, stinky smell, and tastes like a mixture of almond, vanilla, and garlic. The edible portion of the fruit is pale yellow-green in color, and roughly spherical in shape.
Dubraj Rice
Dubraj rice is a type of parboiled rice, originally cultivated in India. It has an elongated shape and golden color, and is tender, soft, and starchy. The rice is usually served with curries or other foods.
Damson Plums
Damson plums are a sour variety of plum that is used for pies, preserves, fruit wines, and liqueurs. They are round and the size of a walnut. The skin is usually dark blue with yellow spots, and the flesh is light purple to black in color.
Duck sauce
Duck sauce is a type of condiment usually consumed in North America. It’s made from plums, apricots, pineapples, pears, or watermelon, and flavored with ginger. It is used as a dipping sauce for egg rolls, wontons, spareribs, and other Chinese dishes.
Demitasse
Demitasse is a type of small, heavy coffee cup. It’s typically used to serve espresso-based drinks such as cafe au lait and cappuccino and is often accompanied by demitasses saucers. They can also be used to serve chocolate or after-dinner liquors.
Dewberries
Dewberries are a type of blackberry. They have a sweet, tart flavor and grow in clusters on thorny plants. Dewberries can be used in jams, jellies, pies, and preserves.
Dahi Vada
Dahi vada is a dish consisting of dahi (yogurt) and vadas (fried dumplings). It’s made from a batter of soaked channa dal and rice, which is then deep-fried in ghee. The vadas are served with a bowl of dahi for dipping or pouring over the top.
Devil’s tongue pepper
The devil’s tongue pepper is a cultivar of the species Capsicum baccatum. It has wrinkled, bumpy skin and a tapered shape. It’s typically pickled and used as a condiment, and can also be stuffed or fried.
Desert King Fig
The Desert King fig is a type of Smyrna-type fig. It has yellow skin and ripens to purple, with great flavor. It can be used fresh or dried, and is often baked with cheese or served in a fruit salad.
Drumstick
Drumstick is the name of a tree that produces fruit, and also refers to the edible portion of that fruit. The tree itself is native to Southern Asia and Africa. The fruit is globular in shape and about the size of a chicken’s leg, and the flesh has a nutty
Wrap Up
There are so many foods that start with the letter D, and we’ve barely scratched the surface! In fact, there are hundreds of foods that start with a “D.”
What do you think of this list? I know these lists are usually pretty random but they sure are fun to read. Would you like to see more lists like this- maybe starting with some other letter?
