73 Foods That Start With G
Great food starts with the letter g. Maybe not all great food, but a surprising number of them at least.
We love learning about unique food items and sharing that knowledge with you. In this article, we’ve discovered and described 73 foods that start with G.
73 Foods That Start With The Letter G
1. Gai Choy
Gai Choy is also known as Chinese mustard greens because of the pungent, peppery flavor that is similar to wasabi. It looks more like a tall, loose-leaf variety of cabbage with crinkled, green leaves. It’s commonly used in Asian, Italian, and even African cuisine. It has a very powerful flavor that pairs well with rich meats and sauces, but it can be eaten either raw or cooked.
2. Gai Lan
Gai Lan is a popular Chinese leafy green vegetable, sometimes called Chinese broccoli. It is part of the Brassica family and tastes like a very strong leafy broccoli, though slightly more bittersweet.
It isn’t a flower, like broccoli, but rather has thick stems and broad, waxy leaves. As the plant matures, it may develop small edible flower buds.
3. Gabon Nut
The Gabon nut, also known as an African walnut, has an extremely hard outer shell that is very difficult to crack but houses a tasty nut that looks similar to a conventional walnut, though it’s not in the same family. Gabon nuts are high in fatty acids and have a mild flavor, similar to hazelnuts.
4. Gac Fruit
Gac fruit looks like a small, bright orange oval melon, but it’s actually a vine fruit that is native to Vietnam. The rind is coarse and covered in tiny spikes. Inside there is a thick, spongey membrane housing the edible fruit sacs. The bright red segments are oddly oily for fruit but have a very mild, sweet cucumber-carrot flavor.
5. Gala Apple
Gala apples are some of the most popular apples around the world, mainly because they grow in a variety of climates and can be made available year-round. They’re a cross between Golden Delicious and Kid’s Orange Red apples.
Gala apples have a delicate, juicy flavor that makes them ideal for eating raw. They’re crisp with yellow skin that blushes as it matures, getting sweeter the longer it stays on the tree.
6. Gala Potato
Gala potatoes are an early harvest potato with yellow, earthy skin and creamy yellow flesh. They’re easy to peel because they’re smoother than some other varieties of potato and have very shallow eyes, but they do have a tendency to discolor when they’re cooked or exposed to air.
7. Galangal Root
Galangal is native to South Asia, where it is also the most popular. It’s closely related to ginger and looks very similar, though more of a pale, off-white color. Galangal root is sharper and more peppery than ginger and can be eaten fresh or used as a spice for cooking, particularly in Chinese, Thai, and other East and Southeast Asian cuisines.
8. Galia Melon
Galia melons are popular yellow-skinned melons with a netting of tan scars on the exterior. The flesh is a clear, pale green. It’s notable for the slightly spicy sweetness and musky fragrance. As it ripens, the skin will become more orange and the fruit will sweeten even more.
9. Garbanzo Beans
Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, are one of the most popular legumes across the world, second only to soybeans. The pea-sized and shaped bean is usually sold either in their mature, dried form or canned, though they can be eaten fresh as well.
Garbanzo beans are very popular in Middle Eastern cuisine, in condiments like hummus, and frequently used in South Asian cuisines as well, in curries and more. They’re very high in protein so they’re common in cultures that follow a more plant-focused diet.
10. Garlic
Common garlic is a vegetable in the allium family, along with onions, though it is used as either an herb or a spice in cooking. Garlic has a very potent, pungent aroma and flavor which is strongest when it is raw. Roasting garlic brings out a subtle sweetness.
Garlic grows in a bulb made up of several cloves, each individually wrapped in a papery husk.
11. Garlic Chives
Garlic chives are not the stems and leaves that will eventually grow from a bulb or clove of garlic, but rather they are an entirely different plant. They are an herb with long, thin dark green stems that grow white or yellow edible flowers.
They are closer in relation to onions though they taste very strongly of garlic.
12. Garnet Yam
Garnet yams are long, cylindrical tubers that look nearly identical to what most North Americans call sweet potatoes. They are a different type of root, however, though they share a similarly sweet, savory, and creamy flavor and can easily be substituted for sweet potatoes, or vice versa, in any recipe.
13. Gem Lettuce
Gem lettuce is a long variety of wavy, densely packed leaves similar to Romaine lettuce, though less bitter and sweeter. The stems of each leaf are very pale green and the leaves get darker towards the outer edges.
Gem lettuce is very crispy and juicy when raw, but has an almost buttery quality when it is cooked, particularly if braised.
14. Genovese Basil
Genovese basil is an Italian heirloom variety of herb with very large, very dark leaves. It’s thought to be the best basil for green pesto, which is a traditional Genovese sauce. It may also be called sweet basil, though it’s technically only one variety of sweet basil.
15. Geoduck
Geoduck, pronounced “gooey duck”, is a very large type of clam. They grow considerably bigger than their shells, developing an almost snail-like appearance. They’re thought to be the longest living creatures on earth, easily living to be 140 or more years old.
The meaty “siphon” is a culinary delicacy, for those who enjoy unusual seafood. It has a savory flavor and crunchy yet rubbery texture.
16. Gherkins
Gherkins are small cucumbers that are often used for pickling. They’re only about 3 inches long at their largest, and they’re very juicy, crispy, and have few seeds. They are also quite bumpy.
Gherkins can also be eaten raw and, though not many Americans realize this, they can also be cooked. Gherkins are a nice, juicy addition to a stir-fry.
17. Ghost Peppers
Ghost peppers are some of the hottest chili peppers in the world. They are so hot they’ve even been turned into a weapon, being fired like a grenade. They can be green, red, or yellow, though they’re most commonly sold as red chilis. They’re generally no longer than 3 inches and only half as wide.
On the Scoville scale, ghost peppers rank only slightly below US Grade Pepper Spray.
18. Ginger Leaves
Ginger leaves grow from the ginger root and are typically harvested with then root is young. They grow into deep green, tall and narrow leaves. They can be tough, so when they’re eaten either raw or cooked they’re usually chopped into small pieces.
Ginger leaves have some of the pungent, spicy flavors of their root, but they’re much more mild and sweet with a lingering citrus scent and flavor.
19. Ginger Root
Ginger is one of the most popular, common, and healthy spices used worldwide. It is a knobby root that is commonly dried and sold in powder form for use in nearly any type of cooking and beverages as well.
It has a citrusy and yet earthy flavor, with a warming effect. It’s quite spicy when it’s fresh, though the powdered version is more mellow and earthy.
20. Ginkgo Biloba
The Ginkgo Biloba tree is native to China and also known as maidenhair. It’s widely cultivated but it comes from an extremely ancient species of trees, all others of which are now extinct. The leaves and seeds are often used in traditional Chinese medicine and, in other parts of the world, they are made into an extract or essential oil. You can also find the dried leaves for making tea which has a sweet, nutty flavor.
21. Ginsing
Ginsing is a short plant grown primarily for it’s stubby, fingerlike roots. The roots can be white or red and they take up to 6 years to be ready for harvest. Ginsing can be eaten raw, steamed, stir-fried, or made into a tea. More commonly, it’s consumed in capsules or oil extraction as a health supplement.
22. Globe Artichokes
Globe artichokes, also known as French artichoke or green artichokes, are the most popular type of artichoke, especially in the US. They are an edible thistle, and each tightly packed leaf has a thorn at the tip.
When cooked, artichokes have a nutty, grassy flavor with a hint of sweetness. The center of the vegetable is called the heart, the softest, and easiest to eat part of the plant.
23. Gnemon
Gnemon is a small evergreen tree that grows throughout Southeast Asia that produces tiny fruits that are almost all seed and very little flesh or skin. The seeds are used in Indonesian cuisine to flavor soup, or to make into chips or crackers. The leaves are also used as a vegetable in a variety of dishes, but most notably traditional curries.
24. Goat
Goat meat may not be quite as popular as lamb, but it’s raised and prepared in much the same way. Goat tends to be sweeter than lamb and can be prepared in several different ways. Traditionally it is stewed, curried, or barbequed, though it can also be made into sausages or even jerky.
25. Goatfish
Goatfish, sometimes called red mullets, are named for their goat-like goatees, which they use to probe into coral reef as they search for food. They’re a brightly colored fish and, oddly enough, as they die they visibly change through a range of colors. In ancient times, they were served alive so that dinners guests could enjoy the effect. As far as taste goes, they’re often compared to shrimp.
26. Gold Bar Squash
Gold bar squash is what most people refer to as summer squash or yellow zucchini. They’re typically smaller and thinner than a traditional zucchini and have bright yellow skin. The inner flesh is white and juicy with a creamy texture when cooked.
27. Gold Beets
Gold beets look and taste very similar to the more traditional red beet, but the flesh is golden yellow. The outer skin is rough, slightly hairy, and burnt orange in color. Some varieties may be pinker, while others are a darker brown color and some even have yellow skin.
Gold beets tend to have a milder and sweeter flavor than red beets and the earthy undertone isn’t quite as strong.
28. Golden Berries
Golden berries are small, round golden-orange berries that are wrapped in a green papery husk, very similar to gooseberries. They’re actually in the tomatillo family, which also has natural paper wrapping.
Golden berries are tropical and have a flavor that reminds many of pineapples and mangoes. They’re often used in salads or sauces. They may also be called groundcherries.
29. Golden Chanterelle Mushrooms
Golden chanterelles are often foraged because they have a very distinct appearance and a very bright golden-yellow cap and thick white stem. They grow in large clusters and can be picked in good quantities.
They have a very meaty texture and fruity, sweet fragrance.
30. Golden Enoki Mushrooms
Golden enoki mushrooms grow in tightly packed clusters, or bouquets, of small long-stemmed mushrooms that have a shape vaguely resembling a q-tip. The stems are velvety feeling and light yellow color, with darker rounded caps with brown-orange gills.
They’re most popular in Asian cuisine. Golden enoki mushrooms have a fruity flavor with a bit of spice to them and a satisfying crunch.
31. Golden Kiwis
Gold, or golden, kiwis are the same size and shape as conventional kiwis, though their skin is more of a bronze color, paper-thin and hairless. The flesh is a yellow-gold color with the expected ring of tiny edible black seeds. They have a very tropical flavor, with hints of both pineapple and mango, though they can be tart if they’re picked before they fully mature.
32. Golden Oyster Mushrooms
Golden or yellow oyster mushrooms are smaller than most other oyster varieties, with very delicate pale yellow caps. They grow in small bouquets but form multiple clusters from each main growth. They are quite bitter raw, but when they’re cooked carefully they develop a pleasant, earthy, nutty flavor.
33. Golden Pears
Golden pears, unlike most of their family, are nearly completely round. They have bright yellow skin dotted with dark brown raised pores. The flesh white and crispy with the trademark starchy, grainy texture common to pears.
Golden pairs are an Asian variety and they are eaten both raw and cooked.
34. Gold Nugget Tangerine
Gold nugget tangerines are a medium-sized variety with pale orange skin and brighter orange inner segments. They’re very fragrant and usually seedless, with a sweet citrus flavor that is low in acidity.
35. Gold Nugget Tomato
Gold nugget tomatoes are a type of cherry tomato that develops into a light orange color only about 1 inch around. They have thinner skin than standard cherry tomatoes and a softer, mushier texture. They’re quite juicy and have a low acid content compared to red tomatoes.
36. Gophers
Gophers may or may not be legally considered a game-animal, depending on your location. Where they are legal to hunt or raise for eating, they need to be carefully prepared for safety, often compared to chicken for flavor and texture.
37. Gongura
Gongura is a leafy green native to South and Southeast Asia and also cultivated in Africa. The leaves can grow incredibly large, up to 6 feet tall, though they’re typically harvested when they’re young and have a more mild flavor.
The yellow and maroon trumpet-shaped flowers are also edible and are often used in jams and other preserves.
38. Goose
Geese can be either farmed domestically or hunted for game, but they are eaten regularly across the globe. They’re consumed as poultry as well as raised for their eggs. They have darker meat than chicken or turkey and are high in heart-healthy fat, which also gives their meat a rich, fatty flavor.
Goose liver is made into pate called foie gras, a delicacy in many countries.
39. Gooseberries
There are almost 2000 different kinds of gooseberries, though the American and European varieties are the two most common. Gooseberries can be as small as a blueberry or as large as a cherry tomato and they are found inside papery green husks.
Green gooseberries are tart and juicy, with a flavor similar to kiwi grape. Red gooseberries are sweeter with a flavor similar to black currants.
40. Gosho Persimmon
Gosho persimmons are native to China, and grow to be about the size and shape of a medium tomato. They have bright orange skin that deepens to red as it matures. The flesh is also orange and red, and very crisp with the signature sweet and spicy flavor expected of persimmons. The Gosho variety is one of the sweetest, with hints of papaya and mango alongside the rich sweetness of dates.
41. Graffiti Eggplant
Graffiti eggplants are typically smaller than the average deep purple eggplant, allowing them to cook quicker. They also have thinner skin which takes away some of the bitterness. They’re noticeably sweeter than other varieties.
Graffiti eggplants are named for the unique color of their skin, which is a purple base streaked thoroughly with white.
42. Granadilla
Granadillas are often confused for passion fruits as they’re very similar fruits and even from the same family. Granadillas tend to be much sweeter than passion fruits and they are filled with edible seeds.
They are a similar size to passion fruits with an apricot-orange thick rind and white, spongey pith and pulp. The seeds add crunch but the flavor comes from the pulp, a tropical combination of sweet and sour with a delicate floral fragrance.
43. Granny Smith Apples
Granny Smith apples are renowned for their tart, tangy taste and crisp, juicy texture. These small, round apples are bright green with pure white flesh. They’re commonly eaten raw, but they’re also perfect for baking because their tart flavor is refreshing in sweet desserts like pie, or crisp.
44. Granola Potato
Granola potatoes are a standard table potato cultivated originally in Germany. They have yellow-brown skin and creamy, dense yellow flesh. They have a lower starch content and more moisture than a conventional Russet potato, giving them a tender consistency and earthy flavor.
45. Grapefruit
Grapefruits are tropical citrus fruits that are known for being tart or sour, though some varietals also have a nice sweetness to them. They’re quite large citrus fruits, growing up to 6 inches in diameter.
The rind is thick on grapefruits and may be yellow-green or yellow-orange. The flesh inside is often a lighter color that matches the outer skin, but it can also be a deep ruby red, depending on the species.
46. Grapefruit Mint
Grapefruit mint is a type of mint that grows easily and has a bright, citrusy fragrance and flavor. The leaves are small, serrated, and deep green, as is typical of mint. With the fresh taste, grapefruit mint is particularly popular for use in salads as well as summer juices, cocktails, or even simple water.
47. Grape Leaves
The leaves from grapevines are often used for wrapping delicate rice or meat dishes, especially in Mediterranean cuisine. The leaves are large with multiple lobes that wrap into a neat food package.
Fresh leaves are very tender, with a grassy flavor with a slight citrusy tang. The leaves are often preserved in brine, either by themselves or stuffed.
48. Grapes
Grapes come in many different varieties and grow in various climates around the world. Some grapes are perfect for eating as fresh fruit while others are cultivated specifically for making wine.
Grapes can be a range of colors, from green or yellow to red or purple. They generally only grow to an inch or two long at the most and are sweet and sour to taste, also varying according to the variety.
49. Grasshopper
In some countries, such as Mexico and China, grasshoppers are regularly consumed as food. Tropical grasshoppers grow large enough to be skewered and roasted. They are being closely researched and trialed as a healthy, sustainable source of protein and are starting to become popular as a powdered protein supplement.
50. Greek Figs
Greek figs are small, bulbous fruits that can have green, red, or deep purple skin. Inside, their flesh ranges in color from white to yellow or a rich pink-red.
Figs are well-known for their sweet, sticky flesh and many seeds. The Greek variety is particularly crisp while maintaining the chewy sweetness. They’re best enjoyed fresh from the tree or paired with something nutty, bitter, or creamy for balance.
51. Green Anjou Pears
Green Anjou pears are the most popular and common pears in the US. They have the traditional namesake pear shape, bright yellow-green skin, and white flesh that is nearly translucent. They have a grainy texture but are both crispy and juicy, full of sweetness and just a hint of citrus.
52. Green Beans
Green beans are the young fruits of common bean plants. They’re harvested before they mature so that not only the seed is edible, but the entire pod is sweet and delicious as well.
Green beans are known by many names, and they’re a common vegetable worldwide. They can be eaten fresh off the plant but are more often cooked.
53. Green Cabbage
Green, or cannonball, cabbage is the most common type of cabbage. It’s a very dense ball of leaves that overlap each other. The outer leaves are a dark green and the innermost leaves and stem pale to an almost white, creamy color.
Cabbage is a Brassica vegetable and it is particularly notable for its strong sulfurous fragrance and flavor. Green cabbage is often thinly sliced and eaten raw in coleslaw or other salads, pickled to make sauerkraut, or cooking in a variety of ways.
54. Green Cactus Pears
Green cactus pears are the fruits of the green cactus. They have yellow-green skin covered in bumps and tiny spines. Inside, the flesh is a paler yellow-green color filled with small black seeds. The flesh and seeds are both edible.
The fruit is very juicy and sweet, similar to a pear in flavor with undertones of watermelon.
55. Green Cauliflower
Green cauliflower is a hybrid of cauliflower and broccoli that looks and tastes very similar to its white relative, with the obvious exception of being green. Compared to the white version, green cauliflower has a milder, sweeter, and less bitter flavor.
56. Green Eggplant
Green eggplants look exactly like their purple relatives with the obvious exception of being a lime green color. They have a smooth, glossy skin that is slightly bitter, and dense, spongy flesh that is creamy white.
Green eggplants can be used to substitute a traditional Italian eggplant in any recipe, but they are much creamy in texture and flavor. They also have a great added benefit of not contaminating the color of a dish.
57. Green Grass Jelly
Grass jelly is a popular East Asian dessert made from the leaves of the Green Grass Jelly plant. The leaves grow vine-like and, when they’re crushed, they create a jelly similar to what can be achieved with agar agar. The jelly is usually sweetened with sugar and coconut milk.
58. Green Meat Radish
Green meat radishes are an unusual Chinese variety of radish. They can grow up to 10 inches long and are a lime green that fades to cream at the bottom of the root. It has thick skin and pale green, crispy flesh.
Depending on the growing conditions, green meat radishes can be mildly flavored or very peppery, similar to conventional radishes.
59. Green Okra
Green okra is a unique vegetable, about the size and shape of a large chile pepper but grooved lengthwise. The green pods have minuscule prickly hairs and feel spongey when they’re squished. Inside are rows of tiny seeds protected by a gummy, gelatinous membrane.
The entire vegetable can be eaten, though they’re best when young and cooked with other ingredients, such as in a stirfry, soup, or stew.
60. Green Onions
Green onions are very small onions that are grown primarily for their long, dark green stalks. They don’t grow into a large bulb like a conventional onion, but rather have slender bases with hairlike roots. The stalks and leaves taste like a standard onion only much more mild, with a slight grassiness, especially in the greener sections.
61. Green Peppers
Green bell peppers have been growing in tropical American climates since the dawn of time, though now they’re cultivated worldwide. They’re from the species Capsicum annum, which also produces red, yellow, and orange peppers. The green variety is immature and not quite ripe, but edible.
They are very crisp and juicy and have a slightly bitter flavor. They can be eaten either raw or cooked.
62. Grey Partridge
Grey partridge is a common game bird in the UK, breeding freely on farmlands though they are starting to decline in numbers as the type of farmland changes and insecticides limit their food supply.
They’re relatively small birds that cook quickly. They have more flavor than some other gamebirds but aren’t wild tasting.
63. Grey Zucchini
Grey zucchini is a type of summer squash grown primarily in Mexico and the Southern US states. It’s thicker and stockier than a traditional dark green zucchini but, despite the name, it isn’t grey. They are a faded light green color with white flesh.
Grey zucchini can be substituted for a conventional zucchini in any recipe, but they are creamier in texture and flavor.
64. Grizzly Bear
Unlike its gummy cousin, it is not common to eat grizzly bear, but if/where hunting grizzly is permitted, it is edible. They’re mainly fish-eating bears, and the flavor and aroma of fish will come through in their meat. Depending on when it is killed, it can be lean or fatty, leaning towards greasy.
65. Groundnuts
Groundnuts are not nuts at all, but rather tubers, similar to potatoes, and a member of the legume family. They have a nutty flavor and starchy, dry texture, which is where the name comes from.
Groundnuts are an earthy brown color, varying dramatically in size. They can grow to be as big as a large grapefruit though they’re often eaten much smaller. They can be eaten raw but it’s more common to cook them, much like a potato.
66. Grouper
Grouper is a family of fish, closely related to sea bass. They are large, stout fish with gaping mouths. They’re commonly caught over 3 feet long though the largest grouper recorded weighed in at over 850 pounds.
Unlike most edible, commercial fish, grouper are usually caught and sold live rather than frozen.
67. Grouse
Grouse is a popular game bird that is very lean. It is white meat, similar to chicken and, unlike most wild meat, it is very delicately flavored. It can be used to substitute chicken in nearly any recipe but it does tend to cook faster.
68. Guaje Beans
Guaje beans are very long and flat, growing up to a foot in length. They have a tough green, translucent pod that deepens to a red color depending on its age. The flat peas inside are similar to the shelled seeds of pumpkins or other large squashes, though they have a slightly garlicky, grassy flavor.
The pods aren’t edible but the seeds are often salted and roasted to be eaten as a snack.
69. Guanabana
Guanabana, also called soursop, is a very large tropical fruit. They’re dark green and covered in spikes that turn black as they grow out of the skin. Inside the flesh is white and very soft and tender. It pulls out in pulpy segments and contains large black seeds. The fruit has a very fragrant aroma and light, sweet tropical flavor with hints of banana, coconut, and pineapple.
70. Guava
Guava is a tropical fruit that grows throughout Mexico, Central and South America as well as much of Southeast Asia, though different varieties will grow in different locales.
Most fruits have skin the color of lemons and limes and can vary in size from that of a small lime to a large orange. The flesh has a unique texture similar to a banana with a tropical flavor combining pineapple, banana, and a little citrus as well.
71. Guava Leaves
The leaves from the guava fruit tree are often used to make tea. The leaves can be dried, crushed, and boiled to make a tea that has the heavenly scent of the guava fruit. They can also be ground into a paste or used to make essential oil, valued for its high vitamin content and anti-inflammatory properties.
72. Guelder Rose Berries
Guelder roses are typically grown as ornamental bushes, but the juicy berries can be eaten as long as they’re cooked first. Raw they can be toxic.
The berries grow in large clusters of tiny, red oval fruits. They have a musky aroma when they’re crushed and a bitter, astringent flavor. They’re usually cooked with other berries to dilute the flavor.
73. Guinea Fowl
Guinea fowl is a type of poultry that can be farmed just like chicken or turkey but are more commonly hunted as game birds. Their meat is slightly gamey, similar to pheasant. Because they’re very lean birds, it’s best to cook them with plenty of moisture, such as a stew or soup, or using plenty of oil in a slow roast.
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