* a highly productive American crop cultivar of the blackberry
marjoram * a general term covering a number of aromatic herbs, oregano included
marsall * any compound of complementary culinary spices as a powder or paste
masa harina * dough flour obtained from maize, used to make tortillas and tamales
massecuite * a semi-solid mix of sugar cane juice obtained during refining
matoke * a green cooking banana found in Uganda; also, the flesh of same as food
maypops * the edible fruit of the passionflower vine, native to the United States
mazagan * an early variant of the broad, or fava, bean
mazzard * a wild sweet cherry
mealie-meal * coarse South African corn meal, a staple; a mealie itself is a corncob
medjool * a large moist date, widely harvested and highly prized
medlar * a small stone fruit which only becomes edible once it has started to decay
melopepon * literally “apple-gourd,” a cover term for any of various kinds of squash
millet * a Eurasian cereal grass producing small grains used chiefly to make flour
mirasol * a mild to medium strength chilli pepper, no stranger to Mexican cuisine
mirliton * a succulent tropical “fruit-vegetable,” known as chayote in Cajun cooking
miso * fermented soybean seasoning paste, a mainstay of Japanese gastronomy
mizuna * edible salad “water greens,” a variety of oriental rape
molasses * concentrated sugar cane syrup or treacle; useful in cooking and baking
mongcorn * an old mix of rye and wheat grains reserved for making the best breads
morello * a sour cherry cultivar, more often dried and cooked than eaten in the hand
morels * a genus of gourmet sac fungi, especially prized in Provençal cuisine
mousseron * an edible bonnet or button “fairy ring” mushroom of the agaric family
mugwort * a bitter herb used as a flavouring agent, more rarely as a dish ingredient
munyeroo * a salad vegetable and enduring staple of the Aboriginal Australian diet
muscovado * raw brown sugar suffused with flavour through contact with molasses
muskmelon * essentially a large, sweet cantaloupe with a distinctive musky aroma
myrobalan * a cherry plum usually prepared for eating in preserves and compotes
naga jolokia * the “ghost pepper,” a fearsomely fiery chilli registering one million units plus on the Scoville heat scale
nameko * a nutty “butterscotch” mushroom, ideal for traditional Japanese stir-fries
nannyberry * a rare wild edible berry native to North America
naranjilla * literally “little orange,” an edible citrus found in South American uplands
navew * an obscure English word referring to a variety of small, wild turnip, or rape
neeps * Scots turnips, especially when consumed with haggis and tatties as a supper
nigella * cookery’s “blessed seed,” the pungent seeds of the black cumin spice plant
nopales * the edible fleshy pads of the prickly pear cactus
nostoc * a genus of jelly-like algae eaten historically in China as famine fare
nuciprune * an early modern name for the walnut, being “betwixt a plum and a nut”
oatmeal * a flour prepared from ground or rolled oats, as typically used in porridge
ogbono * the African wild mango; alternatively, the aromatic oily nuts of said fruit
oilberry * an Old English olive
okra * edible mucilaginous seed pods, also known as bhindi, gumbo, or ladyfingers
oleaster * any wild-growing olive or one of markedly inferior palatability
orangelo * a naturally occurring orange and grapefruit, or pomelo, citrus fruit cross
orgament * a bygone name for oregano, the popular culinary herb
oronge * Caesar’s mushroom, an edible fungus for the connoisseur
ortanique * a Jamaican food fruit, promoted as a “unique” orange and tangerine cross
palmetto * palm hearts eaten as a vegetable
panch phoron * a five-way whole spice masala of fenugreek, fennel, cumin, and nigella with either mustard or radhuni seeds from the Indian Subcontinent
pandan * “Asian vanilla,” an aromatic leaf widely used as a flavouring ingredient
paprika * a ground table spice obtained from sun-dried sweet and hot red peppers
paranut * the Brazil nut, an oily edible seed and common ingredient in mixed nuts
partminger * a Nigerian culinary herb with qualities similar to basil
passata * Italian tomato purée
passionberry * a sweet wild tomato bushfood found in the arid parts of Australia
pastillage * a thick sugar-based setting paste ideal for decorating or sculpting pastry
pawpaw * the “hillbilly mango,” an American fruit often confused with the papaya
pearmain * any of a range of red-skinned English dessert apples, of ancient lineage
peasemeal * flour derived from roasted field peas, a staple of old Scots cookery
pekmez * Turkish molasses; a cooking syrup derived from grape must or carob pods
pellitory * a herb used by the pinch in medieval cooking to lend spice to bland meals
peppercress * an edible mustard grass, typically sautéed or eaten raw in salads
pepperoncini * chilli peppers in general, as featured in Italian cuisine
pepyn * an archaic name for the common pea
perdrigon * a long-established variety of culinary plum
perilla * the name in English for the Japanese mint herb shiso
persic * an archaic name for the common peach
persillade
