* a.k.a. santol, a fruit used in numerous Thai salad and curry dishes
couverture * cooking chocolate, made with added cocoa butter for extra gloss
cowcake * an old Scots dialectal term for the wild parsnip
cowcumber * the cucumber of yore, the fruit being regarded as mere animal fodder
crabapple * any small sour apple, better cooked than eaten in the hand
cremini * a meaty immature button variant of the portobello mushroom
crestmarine * a rare culinary herb also referred to as sea fennel or rock samphire
crookneck * a sweet-fleshed yellow summer squash
cubanelle * a long, thin sweet pepper much used in Caribbean and Italian cuisine
cumin * a popular kitchen spice ground or whole; known in its native India as jeera
cush-cush * tropical American yam tuber, consumed as a vegetable
cydon * the quince, or “apple of Cydonia”
cymling * the pattypan squash, in American English
dactyl * a date, in older coinage
daikon * cooked radish, a popular item in East Asian cuisine
damascene * an earlier name for the damson, the “plum of Damascus”
dasheen * the edible starchy corm of the taro plant
demerara * natural, unrefined crunchy cane sugar; known in the US as turbinado
dewberry * the edible blueish-black fruit of the eponymous bramble
dilex * seaweed as a food resource, specifically dulse
dillseed * a pungent seed used to spice and season numerous dishes
dittander * a historical mystery herb; variously pepperwort, dittany of Crete, or cress
duqqa * Egyptian spice mix
duracine * a firm-fleshed peach
durian * a tasty tropical fruit notorious for its foul and off-putting aroma
durum * a hard wheat whose flour is used to make premium breads and pastas
earthapple * a term variously denominating the potato, cucumber, or artichoke
edamame * a foodstuff prepared from fresh green soybeans boiled in their pods
eddoes * edible taro tubers or cormlets
eggplant * the aubergine, in American English; so named for the vegetable’s shape
einkorn * man’s first wheat, indeed one of the earliest food plants ever cultivated
elderflower * a British berry fruit primarily used today to produce juices and jams
elecampane * a root used in classical times as a condiment, and latterly as a candy
emblic * the edible fruit of the Indian gooseberry tree
emmer * a hulled wheat in the style of farro; one of the first crops to be domesticated
endive * a leaf vegetable called chicory in its curly form, and escarole when broad-leaved
enokitake * golden needle mushrooms, a mainstay of East Asian gastronomy
epazote * an aromatic herb strongly featured in traditional Mexican cuisine
eryngo * the sea holly parsley plant, especially its edible root which is often candied
farina * a fine carb-rich cereal food made from milled wheat or other vegetable meal
faverel * an old English provincial term for the onion
fecula * powdered starch extracted from food plants, used in cooking as a thickener
fenugreek * a herb whose seeds are typically ground as a spice for curry powder
fenwort * an archaic term for the cranberry
fiddleheads * the edible tips or fronds of certain ferns, consumed as a vegetable
filberts * large, cultivated hazelnuts
fines herbes * a classic balanced fresh herb mix, integral to French haute cuisine
fingerroot * a gingerish culinary herb perhaps better known as Chinese keys
finocchio * Florence fennel, a herb with a bulbous stalk base eaten as a vegetable
five-spice * Chinese spice mix
flageolet * the common French kidney bean
flaxseed * edible linseed oil, used culinarily in Europe to lift the flavour of quark
floweret * the clustered flowering head, or floret, of such as broccoli or cauliflower
forastero * an inferior cocoa bean often used to produce commercial-grade chocolate
frais * strawberries, in the formal context of cookery
framboise * raspberries, in the formal context of cookery
freekeh * a cereal food made from unripened durum wheat, roasted and rubbed
frijoles * any beans, such as the pinto, commonly featured in Tex-Mex cuisine
funori * an Asian aquatic plant food, or polysaccharide extract of edible seaweed
galangal * a generic term for a group of aromatic spice roots found in Asian cuisine
gamboge * a fruit used as a condiment in the preparation of Thai sour curries
garam masala * Indian hot spice mix
garbanzo * the humble chickpea
genipap * the succulent fruit of a Caribbean evergreen, useful for making preserves
gillyflowers * a once-popular name for cloves
gingelly * sesame oil, variously used to cook with or as a table condiment
glycyrize * “sweet root”; liquorice as a confectionery flavouring or culinary spice
gochugaru * a smoky red pepper spice from Korea
goji * a native Asian berry lately promoted in the West as a purported health food
granadilla * a somewhat larger, sweeter, and more exotic cousin of the passion fruit
greengage * a small dessert plum
grisette * a common edible woodland toadstool
