spice in the early English lexicon
whitemeat * food prepared from milk; an outmoded synonym for dairy produce
wholefood * additive-free plant food grown with minimal processing or refining
wholemeal * any bread or other baked product made from the entire wheat kernel
wistfyllo * food in abundance in olden times
wistmete * aliment in older, leaner times; literally “existence-food”
wyrtmete * any Anglo-Saxon food consisting of vegetables or herbs
yarrum * milk, in old money
zuuzuus & whamwhams * vending machine confectionery, in US penitentiary slang
Items and Ingredients from the Plant World
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
—Michael Pollan
acerola * a cherry-like fruit native to South and Central America, rich in vitamin C
acetum * vinegar, historically; a pickling agent and perennial condiment favourite
achocha * a high Andean relative of the courgette, also known as stuffing cucumber
adobo * Caribbean spice mix
advieh * Persian spice mix
adzuki * a sweet red mung bean widely used in East Asian cooking
agar-agar * vegan gelatin; a culinary jelly derived from seaweed
agave * Mexican cactus nectar used to sweeten dishes as a healthy sugar substitute
ajwain * an Indian spice flavouring extracted from carom seeds
akebia * the edible fruit of the East Asian “chocolate vine” shrub
alexanders * horse parsley; the herb’s stems are used as celery, its roots as parsnip
alkanet * a herb boiled to produce the red food colouring used in rogan josh curries
alphonso * a small Indian mango variety
amaranth * a peppery plant meeting fully three-quarters of human nutritional needs
ambarella * a slightly sour-tasting but versatile tropical food fruit
ampalaya * a Philippine bitter melon
ananas * a culinary synonym for the pineapple
anardana * an Indian table spice made from dried pomegranate seeds
ancho * an aromatic Mexican chilli, otherwise known as the poblano
angelica * a pot herb whose stem may be used for flavouring, but never eaten raw
anguria * a gourd, specifically the watermelon
aniseed * a popular spice plant with liquorice flavoured seeds
annatto * a natural orange-red food colouring also widely applied as a condiment
apple-John * any apple somewhat shrivelled with age yet considered to be at its best
arborio * speciality risotto rice
armorace * horseradish, a root vegetable used in cooking as a spice
arrowroot * a versatile edible starch used internationally as a food thickening agent
arugula * rocket, a peppery salad leaf vegetable belonging to the cabbage family
asafoetida * a culinary herb of the celery family; once known as the “food of gods”
atemoya * a tropical fruit cross popular from Taiwan to the Levant to Brazil
avocado * from an Aztec word meaning “testicle”; the fruit highest of all in energy-rich protein and oil
azarole * the Naples medlar, used in Mediterranean cooking for many centuries
baharat * Arabian spice mix
bambara * the Congo goober or groundnut; a traditional African food crop
bananino * a small, sweet ladyfinger cultivar of the dessert banana
barberry * a tart, edible berry; it figures most prominently in modern Iranian cuisine
basmati * literally “fragrant rice”; a long-grained variety originating in southern Asia
batata * West Indies sweet potato
batavia * a variety of endive with qualities similar to the lettuce; also called escarole
berbere * East African spice mix
bergamot * a name for both a sweet dessert pear and the dwarf Seville orange
biffin * a cooking apple
bigaroon * the Royal Anne cherry; eaten in the hand or reserved for making fruit pie
bignay * a small Southeast Asian fruit used to make jams, jellies, and such
bilberry * an edible berry often mistaken for its cousin the blueberry or blaeberry
blackbutter * a gourmet seaweed from the shores of Cornwall
blewit * a palatable fragrant mushroom of the agaric family
boletus * a mainly edible genus of mushroom-producing fungi
boniato * a Cuban sweet potato with characteristic white flesh
borage * a garden herb ideally dried for use in salads and garnishes
borecole * a rarer, alternative name for kale
bostongurka * Swedish gherkin pickle
bouquet garni * a classic French herb bundle added to stocks, sauces, and soups
boysenberry * a large four-way hybrid bramble fruit
brassica * cabbage or kale as food; cruciferous vegetables in general or aggregate
breadfruit * a tropical staple; the texture of the cooked fruit is similar to fresh bread
broccoflower * a vegetable cross between broccoli and cauliflower
brunion * another name for a nectarine, being a hybrid of plum and peach
buckwheat * a “pseudo-cereal” flour used especially in Eastern European cooking
buffaloberry
