Are you looking for vegetables that start with F? Here are 14 veggies that begin with F, along with some helpful information about each one. Have you heard of them all?
Should you soon be appearing on Jeopardy and expect “Vegetables That Start with F” to be a category, you will be all set as we list some pretty exotic veggies among this list of 14, along with some helpful (or perhaps just obscure) information about each one.
But, if you aren’t appearing on Jeopardy and maybe just working on a school project, let these vegetables that start with the letter F inspire you! And if you are looking for a vegetarian recipe featuring an F List veggie, here are a few of our favorites.
- Fat Hen
- Fava Beans
- Field Cucumbers
- Fennel
- Flat Beans
- Flat White Boer Pumpkins
- Flat Italian Onions
- Flint Corn
- Fiorentino Tomatoes
- Fluted Pumpkin
- French Bean
- French Sorrel
- Futsu Squash
- Frisée
Fat Hen
Okay, confession time. This is a vegetable we had not heard of. We learned about it reading “weeds you can eat.” That, obviously, was not a convincing start. It is said to taste similar to chard and is popular with many who also like collards, kale, and other leafy greens.
Fava Beans
Fava Beans are also known as broad beans. They are eaten around the world, and are believed to be one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world dating to perhaps 6,000 BCE. We know they were eaten by both the ancient Greeks and Romans (who else loves Mediterranean food?). They are great in salads, stews, sauces, you name it. Their drawback is that harvesting is a labor-intensive process which makes them more expensive than most beans, so don’t expect to find them at the Aldi.
Field Cucumbers
Field Cucumbers are the fat cucumbers with bumpy skins you see at the grocery next to the more expensive English Cucumbers which are longer and thinner. The seeds tend to grow larger in field cucumbers as the fruit grows larger, so bigger is not better even though most stores sell them by each not by weight. They stay crisp in brine, so field cucumbers are normally the variety made into pickles. Learn more about cucumber nutrition, or check out all of our vegetarian cucumber recipes here!
Fennel
Fennel is a member of the carrot family, but oddly it is not a root vegetable. Its bulb grows above ground. While the entire plant is edible, generally only the bulb is used in cooking. It caramelizes when cooked, and becomes sweet making it useful in a host of recipes. Like so many other vegetables, it is low calorie but high in fiber, potassium, and a host of other nutrients. Just one more reason Mom told us to eat our veggies.
Flat Beans
Flat Bean or Italian flat beans taste much like French green beans. They are a very low-calorie vegetable high in fiber and potassium.
Flat White Boer Pumpkins
Flat White Boer Pumpkins are snow white and flat. They are native to South Africa (home of the Boers). In recent years these have joined the traditional American pumpkin as porch decorations in the fall. Their flesh is orange like other pumpkin varieties and like others they are actually useful for a whole lot more than decorations. Pumpkins are loaded with nutrients like vitamin A and fiber, and are really quite easy to cook with (pumpkin curry, anyone?).
Flat Italian Onions
Flat Italian Onions are a sweet yet strong onion that grow in a distinctive flat shape with a red skin. This variety has been grown in Italy for hundreds of years.
Flint Corn
Flint Corn is also known as Indian Corn and is used to make popcorn. That about says enough to get it in the veggie hall of fame. The name comes from how hard the kernels are. They were said to be hard as flint which was the hard element used to produce the spark that made muskets fire. Indian Corn is also the most decorative corn variety due to its wonderful variations in color between kernels.
Fiorentino Tomatoes
Fiorentino Tomatoes are a ridged flat tomato that is very flavorful making it great raw or made into any manner of tomato sauce. You can find these at some specialty groceries, but many people just grow them for themselves.
Fluted Pumpkin
Fluted Pumpkin or Nigerian Fluted Pumpkin is called Ugu in West Africa where it grows. It does not at all resemble a pumpkin as we know them in the West, but is eaten by millions in Nigeria and other African nations.
French Bean
French Bean is the ubiquitous green bean that grandma put in that oh so good casserole. Want to try a slight variation on her Thanksgiving specialty? Try our Easy Vegan Green Bean Casserole.
French Sorrel
French Sorrel is a leafy green vegetable and like most of these is high in fiber and vitamins A, B, C, D, E. Young leaves have the most-mild taste and are thus best in salads. As the leaves grow larger, they become more bitter and are better in cooked recipes.
Futsu Squash
Futsu Squash is a Japanese squash with a nutty flavor. It is often used in soups and stews, but is also great roasted with garlic or onions.
Frisée
Frisée is a type of endive that’s also known as chicory. Like most of your leafy greens, these are very nutritious loaded with vitamins A & C and a host of other micro nutrients. It is a bit bitter but makes a great salad component.
Leave a Comment