Food Categories by Sandra Rosenstiel
If you want to learn the names of foods in a country, you're often better off going to the market than looking at a menu. Restaurants tend to come up with fanciful dishes and even more fanciful names for them. In the market, however, foods are labeled by their common names and generally are grouped into categories: seafood at the fish stall, fruit at the fruit stall, and so on. So, let's wander through the market and learn some food names.
Basic Foods
Las carnes y aves (Meats and poultry)
el bistec (beef)
el puerco, el cerdo (pork)
el cordero (lamb)
el pollo (chicken)
el pato (duck)
el pavo (turkey)
las costillas (ribs)
la chuleta (chop)
la pechuga (breast)
los huevos (eggs)
el hígado (liver)
los riñones (kidneys)
Los pescado y mariscos (Fish and shellfish)
el huachinango (red snapper, Mex.)
la trucha (trout)
el mero (grouper)
la merluza (hake)
los camarones (shrimp)
el pulpo (octopus)
los calamares (squid)
los mejillones (mussels)
las ostras (oysters)
Las verduras (Vegetables)
el brócoli (broccoli)
la patata, la papa (potato)
el camote, la batata (sweet potato, yam)
la calabaza (squash)
el maíz (corn)
la coliflor (cauliflower)
la zanahoria (carrot)
los frijoles (beans)
los garbanzos (chickpeas)
el pimiento (pepper)
el chile (chili pepper)
el pepino (cucumber)
Las frutas (Fruits)
la manzana (apple)
la naranja (orange)
la fresa (strawberry)
el plátano (banana)
el melocotón, el durazno (peach)
el limón (lemon)
la cereza (cherry)
el melón (melon)
la sandía (watermelon)
el tomate (tomato)
las uvas (grapes)
el pomelo, la taronja (grapefruit)
la papaya (papaya)
el mango (mango)
la maracuyá (passion fruit)
Keep in mind that many fruits and vegetables in particular are limited in their range and may be sold only in certain locations. Part of the fun of going to a local market is to see what foods are available and to start learning some of the local names. Meanwhile, you might take your dictionary to the supermarket to learn the names of more items.
Let's take a minute and check out the dairy and deli areas of the market, where you'll find an assortment of cheeses, sausages, and pickled items. Once again, we're just going to focus on the basics, since cheese and sausage names vary widely from one place to another.
Los productos lácteos (Dairy products)
la leche (milk)
la crema (cream)
la mantequilla (butter)
la nata (whipped cream)
la crema agria (sour cream)
el yogur (yogurt)
el requesón (curds, cottage cheese)
el queso (cheese)
el helado (ice cream)
Los productos de charcutería (Deli products)
la salchicha (sausage)
el chorizo (spicy sausage)
la morcilla (blood sausage)
el jamón serrano (salted dried ham)
el fiambre (cold cuts)
las tripas (tripe)
Some very common foods like chocolate, corn, tomatoes, and potatoes are native to the Americas, and were first introduced to the rest of the world after the Spanish arrived. In turn, Spain brought other foodstuffs, including rice, to the Americas, where they have become dietary staples.
Foods are sold by particular weights and cuts and in different sizes and containers. For example, you buy most meat, fruits, and vegetables by kilos (kilograms) or gramos (grams). The same is true for cheese and deli products, though you may buy some whole (entero) or by the piece or chunk (trozo). You might specify whether you want slices (rebanadas) or if you would like your cheese grated (rallado) or meat ground (molida). Liquids are most often sold by liters (litros) though more solid dairy products are sold by grams or in containers (envases).
Milk is often sold in unrefrigerated cartons. It has been sterilized and doesn't need refrigeration until after opening. Some stores offer farm-fresh milk and cream that is packaged in plastic bags.
