Never again! Here you have all the Spanish food vocabulary your stomach will ever need, dished out in digestible chunks!
I’m using here the following color codes:
- blue background = basic (most frequent) words; gray background = less frequent words.
- red letters = mostly Latin American variant; green letters = mostly Spaniard variant (not strictly, but merely orientative).
Fruit (fruta)
| orange | naranja |
| lemon | el limón |
| apple | manzana |
| pear | pera |
| banana | banana, plátano |
| coconut | coco |
| pineapple | el ananá, el ananás, la piña |
| watermelon | sandía |
| melon | la patilla, el melón |
| grape | uva |
| plum | ciruela |
| peach | el durazno, el melocotón |
| strawberry | frutilla, fresa |
| blackberry | mora |
| raspberry | frambuesa |
| blueberry | arándano azul, arándano |
| cranberry | arándano rojo |
| prune, dried plum | ciruela pasa |
| raisin, dried grape | pasa, uva pasa |
| fig | higo |
| mandarin | mandarina |
| lime | lima(*) |
| grapefruit | pomelo, toronja |
| kiwifruit | el kiwi |
| apricot | el albaricoque |
| cherry | cereza |
| quince | membrillo |
| cherimoya | chirimoya |
| persimmon | el caqui |
| mango | mango |
| papaya | papaya |
| passion fruit | el maracuyá |
* In some countries, such as Mexico, “lime” is translated as limón
, and “lemon” as lima
.
Vegetables (verdura)
| lettuce | lechuga |
| tomato | el tomate |
| pepper | pimiento |
| potato | patata |
| onion | cebolla |
| garlic | ajo |
| carrot | zanahoria |
| legume | la legumbre |
| pea | arveja, el guisante |
| bean | poroto, el frijol, habichuela, judía… |
| lentil | lenteja |
| chickpea | garbanzo |
| avocado | palta, el aguacate |
| eggplant, aubergine | berenjena |
| cucumber | pepino |
| asparagus | espárrago |
| spinach | espinaca |
| (edible) mushroom | seta (comestible), el champiñón |
| common mushroom, button mushroom |
champiñón común, champiñón |
| french fries | patatas fritas |
| mashed potatoes | el puré de patatas/papas |
| soybean | grano/semilla de soja/soya |
| olive | aceituna |
| cabbage | col, repollo |
| cauliflower | la coliflor |
| squash, marrow | calabaza |
| zucchini, courgette | el calabacín |
| turnip | nabo |
| carob | algarroba |
| radish | rábano |
| leek | puerro |
| celery | apio |
| beet | remolacha |
| sweet potato | batata, boniato |
| brussels sprout | la col de Bruselas |
| collard greens | berza |
| endive | endivia, escarola |
| kale | col rizada, col verde |
| artichoke | el alcaucil, alcachofa |
| broccoli | el brócoli, el brécol |
| ginger | el jengibre |
Nuts and cereals (frutos secos* y cereales)
| peanut | el maní, el cacahuate, |
| walnut | la nuez |
| chestnut | castaña |
| hazelnut | avellana |
| almond | almendra |
| wheat | trigo |
| rice | el arroz |
| maize, corn | el maíz |
| oats | avena |
| bread | el pan |
| pasta | pasta |
| noodle | fideo |
| whole-grain bread | pan integral |
| bread crumbs | pan rallado |
| cashew | el marañón, anacardo |
| pistachio | pistacho |
| pine nut | el piñón |
| barley | cebada |
| rye | centeno |
| corn flakes | hojuelas/copos de maíz |
| popcorn | el pororó, rosetas/palomitas de maíz |
| rolled oats | avena arrollada, copos de avena |
| puffed rice | arroz inflado |
| flour | harina |
| macaroni noodle | el macarrón |
| spaghetti | el espagueti |
| lasagne | lasaña |
* The Spanish term fruto seco
sometimes includes also dried fruits, such as prunes, raisins, etc.
Dairy and eggs (lácteos y huevos)
| milk | la leche |
| butter | mantequilla |
| cheese | queso |
| yogurt | el yogur |
| egg | huevo |
| omelette | tortilla (francesa) |
| scrambled eggs | huevos revueltos, revuelto de huevo |
| skimmed milk | leche desnatada/descremada |
| semi skimmed milk | leche semidesnatada/semidescremada |
| whole milk | leche entera |
| dairy cow | vaca lechera |
| cheese slices | queso en lonchas |
| egg white | clara de huevo |
| egg yolk | yema de huevo |
Oil and fats (aceite y grasas)
| olive oil | el aceite de oliva |
| sunflower oil | aceite de girasol |
| soybean oil | aceite de soja |
| vegetable oil | aceite vegetal |
| peanut butter | mantequilla de cacahuete/maní |
| margarine | margarina |
| tallow | sebo |
| lard | manteca de cerdo |
Fish and meat (pescado y carne)
| meat | la carne |
| steak | el filete |
| chop | chuleta |
| pork | chancho, cerdo |
| ham | el jamón |
| beef | carne de vacuno |
| lamb | cordero |
| veal | ternera |
| chicken | pollo |
| turkey | pavo |
| sausage | salchicha |
| meatball | albóndiga |
| hamburger | hamburguesa |
| breast | pechuga |
| liver | hígado |
| shellfish | marisco |
| oyster | ostras |
| clams | almejas |
| shrimp, prawn | gamba, langostino |
| crab | cangrejo |
| swordfish | el pez espada |
| tuna | el atún |
| herring | el arenque |
| cod | bacalao |
| anchovy | anchoa |
| sardine | sardina |
| mackerel | macarela, caballa |
| salmon | el salmón |
| trout | trucha |
| duck | pato |
| rabbit | conejo |
| hare | la liebre |
| poultry | carne de ave |
| venison | carne de venado |
| fish farm | piscifactoría |
| whitefish | pescado blanco |
| oily fish | pescado azul, pescado graso |
| cold cut | el fiambre |
| meatloaf | el pastel de carne |
| roast beef | el rosbif |
| fish sticks, fish fingers | palitos de pescado |
| dry-cured Spanish ham | el jamón serrano |
| clawed lobster | el bogavante, el lubigante, cigala… |
| spiny lobster | langosta |
| hake | merluza |
| eel | anguila |
| turbot | rodaballo |
Condiments (condimentos)
| to season | sazonar, condimentar |
| sauce | salsa |
| spice | especia |
| mayonnaise | mayonesa, mahonesa |
| mustard | mostaza |
| ketchup | el kétchup, cátsup, cátchup |
| salt | la sal |
| pepper | pimienta |
| cinnamon | canela |
| oregano | orégano |
| mint | mastranto, menta |
| anis, asiseed | el anís |
| paprika | el pimentón |
| bay leaf, laurel | el laurel |
| spearmint | hierbabuena |
| sesame | sésamo, el ajonjolí |
| clove | clavo |
| cumin | comino |
| nutmeg | la nuez moscada |
| basil | albahaca |
Sweets and sweeteners (dulces y endulzantes/edulcorantes)
| sweeten | endulzar, edulcorar |
| honey | la miel |
| sugar | el azúcar |
| confectionery | golosinas, los dulces |
| cake | torta, tarta, el pastel |
| pancake | el panqueque, tortita |
| marmalade, jam | mermelada |
| ring-shaped doughnut | rosquilla |
| cookie | galleta |
| ice cream | helado |
| chocolate | el chocolate |
| bonbon, chocolate candy | el bombón |
| caramel | caramelo |
| candy | caramelo |
| chewing gum | el chicle, goma de mascar |
| brown sugar | azúcar moreno |
| saccharin | sacarina |
| syrup | el sirope |
| viennoiserie | facturas, bollería |
| waffle | el waffle(pronounced /waf-leh/), el gofre |
| cocoa powder | cacao en polvo |
| marzipan | el mazapán |
| lollipop | piruleta (flat candy), |
| liquorice | caramelo de regaliz, el regaliz |
Bebida (drink, beverage)
| coffee | el café |
| tea | el té (*) |
| juice | jugo, zumo |
| milkshake | batida, batido |
| wine | vino |
| beer | cerveza |
| mineral water | agua mineral |
| soy milk | leche de soja |
| infusion | la infusión |
| chamomile | manzanilla, camomila |
| carbonated beverage, soft drink |
gaseosa, refresco |
| white wine | vino blanco |
| red wine | vino tinto |
| ice cube | cubito de hielo |
* Note that the accent mark distinguishes the noun té
from the pronoun te
.
Cooking
| kitchen | cocina |
| cooking, cookery | cocina |
| to cook | cocinar |
| to boil | cocer |
| barbecue | barbacoa |
| grilled, barbecued | a la parrilla, a la brasa |
| griddled, pan grilled | a la plancha |
| to fry | freír |
| fried | frito |
| oven | horno |
| bake | hornear |
| to peel | pelar, mondar |
| cooking pot | cazuela, cacerola, olla |
| frying pan | la sartén |
| to dice | cortar en dados/tacos |
| spoonful | cucharada |
| tablespoonful | cucharada sopera |
| pressure cooker | olla a presión, olla express |
| microwave oven | horno (de) microondas |
| to simmer | cocer a fuego lento |
| to poach | escalfar |
| steam | cocer al vapor |
| to smoke (meat, fish…) | ahumar |
| roast | asar |
| broil | asar |
| cure | curar |
| garnish | la guarnición |
| stuffed | relleno |
| ferment | fermentar |
General food related words
| eat | comer |
| drink | beber |
| food | alimento, comida |
| meal | comida |
| breakfast | desayuno |
| to have (for) breakfast | desayunar |
| lunch | almuerzo |
| to lunch | almorzar |
| tea time, afternoon snack | merienda |
| to have (for) merienda | merendar |
| supper | cena |
| to have (for) supper | cenar |
| dessert | el postre |
| snack | aperitivo |
| to toast | tostar |
| toast | tostada |
| soup | sopa |
| spoon | cuchara |
| teaspoon | cucharilla |
| fork | tenedor |
| knife | cuchillo |
| plate | plato |
| dish | plato |
| course (of a meal) | plato |
| napkin | servilleta |
| salty | salado |
| sweet | dulce |
| bitter | amargo |
| edible | comestible |
| recipe | receta |
| cutlery | cubertería |
| kitchen knife | cuchillo de cocina |
| serrated knife | cuchillo de sierra |
| sour | ácido, agrio (milk, etc.) |
| nutritious | nutritivo |
| tasteless | insípido |
