There are many foods that start with the letter "J," some of which you may already be familiar with and enjoy, while others might be new discoveries. This article explores a variety of healthy foods beginning with "J," offering insights into their origins, flavors, and culinary uses.
Fruits
Jackfruit
The jackfruit grows on the jack tree and is commonly found in South Asian countries. This immense fruit resembles a large melon, reaching up to 80 pounds (36 kg) in weight and around 3 feet (90 cm) in length. Despite being a fruit, jackfruit is versatile and used in both sweet and savory dishes. Ripe jackfruit has a sweet flavor, often compared to pineapple. Its consistency is similar to that of pulled pork, making it a popular meat substitute in vegetarian meals such as stews and curries. In Brazil, ripe jackfruit is often stewed with sugar and eaten with cheese. The unripe version of jackfruit gives a flavour of meat and is often used as a meat substitute.
Japanese Plum
The Japanese plum, also known as the Japanese apricot, is a fruit cultivated in Japan. The fruit is small, with dense flesh that ranges from dark purple to red. Its flavor is very sweet, making it suitable for fresh consumption. Japanese plums can also be used to make pickles and jams.
Jaboticaba
Jaboticaba is a tough-skinned purple grapelike tropical fruit grown in Brazil. What makes this unusual exotic fruit distinctive is that it grows directly on the trunk of the jabuticabeira tree, giving the impression of a tree covered in grapes. Jaboticabas are usually eaten raw as they do not last long once picked. Jaboticaba jam is delicious.
Java Apple
Also known as rose apple or water apple, this is a tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia.
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Jocote
Jocote come from Central America. In English they can also be called ‘hog plums’.
Jujube
Jujube comes from China and is also known as a Chinese date. It has been used as medicine for insomnia and anxiety for generations.
June Plum
June plums go by many names - ambarella and golden apple fruit, to name just two!
Junglesop
Junglesop is another big fruit like jackfruit. They can weigh between 5 and 15kg! They grow across Africa and are a popular food source.
Jonathan Apple
The Jonathan apple is a red late-ripening apple primarily eaten raw. A cross between the Jonathan and Golden Delicious, this apple has a sweet-tart flavor, firm texture, and a beautiful red and gold blush. Jonathan apples have a long storage life because they freeze well.
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Jambos
Jambos are used in some classifications for rose apples (Eugenia jambos). Jambos are highly priced for their many uses as a tonic for the brain, confections and as a diuretic.
Java Plum
In some cultures, Java plum is considered a fruit that is good for overall health and well-being.
Jazz Apple
Jazz apples are a hybrid of Braeburn and Royal Gala.
Juneberry
Juneberry are edible purple or red berries. You know that juneberries are ready to harvest by counting sixty days after their Bloom.
Japanese Eggplant
Also known as nasu in Japan, this is a slender, elongated variety known for its tender, thin skin and sweet, mild flavor.
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Jostaberry
A jostaberry is a fruit made by crossing the black currants, black gooseberry and European gooseberry. Its flavor draws tartness from the gooseberry and sweetness akin to blackberries.
Jambolan
This fruit comes from Southeast Asia. The small berries are eaten and the bark, seed and leaf have been used for centuries as medicine for diabetes, inflammation and other things.
Jaboticaba
Also known as the Brazilian cherry or stinking toe fruit, this fruit comes in a hard brown shell and has a smell similar to cheesy feet (hence the name!).
Japanese Pear
This fruit actually comes from China, not Japan! It also goes by the names loquat. Its yellow/orange oval fruit and fragrant leaves are used to make herbal tea.
Jicama
Jicama is a root vegetable from Mexico that looks a little like taro root and yam and is known to be juicy with a nutty flavour in it. It is also known as Mexican Potato. Jicama is a versatile root vegetable that offers a crisp, refreshing crunch and a mildly sweet flavor. It is most often eaten raw but can also be boiled, fried, sauteed etc. Try cutting it into matchsticks and squeezing a little lime, salt and chili over!
Jet Star Tomato
This is a hybrid tomato that’s often found in red colour and has a low to mild acidity in it. Grown in New Jersey, USA, this tomato is celebrated for having exceptional taste, juiciness, and a vibrant red color.
Vegetables
Jalapeño
Jalapeno is a small green chili pepper used in Mexican cooking. When it relates to spiciness, jalapenos are a hot pepper to eat. These are more tasty and useful pepper than the others. They are a highly popular item. Use in cuisine due to their natural and earthy taste. These vibrant Mexican peppers introduce a fiery element to dishes. They are usually used to add a kick of spice to a dish, however some jalapenos are milder/spicier than others. There is a way to tell how hot a jalapeno is - look for scars on the outside of the pepper! The more scars it has, the spicier it will be.
Jerusalem Artichoke
The Jerusalem artichoke is a member of the sunflower family. It resembles a skinny and bobbly potato and has a sweet and nutty flavor. After cooking, the vegetable has a taste comparable to that of artichoke hearts. Jerusalem artichoke has a misleading name as it’s in fact a type of sunflower native to North America. Have you ever tried a Jerusalem artichoke? It resembles a ginger root, but it is not that spicy.
Jimbu
Known for its strong and pungent aroma, jimbu is often described as a combination of onion, garlic, and chives.
Grains and Legumes
Java
Java is a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans. Today I have a hot java.
Jawar
Jawar is a type of millet.
Meats and Seafood
Jambon
Jambon is meat cut from the thigh of a hog (usually smoked). I picked a honey mustard jambon panini and a lemonade. Ham, butter, and a fresh baguette combine for this iconic French sandwich.
Jerky
Jerky is meat (especially beef) cut in strips and dried in the sun. Crossfit athletes eat jerky beef as a healthy snack. Jerky is a method of preserving meat dating back centuries. Native American tribes, for example, made pemmican, a form of jerky from buffalo meat. Jerky is made from lean cuts of meat trimmed into thin strips then dried, salted and dehydrated. It is eaten as a snack food across the United States and Canada.
Joint
Joint is a piece of meat roasted or for roasting and of a size for slicing into more than one portion. The menu includes rib-eye roasted joint served with sauteed vegetables.
Jinhua Ham
This prized dry-cured ham is aged for several months to a few years.
Jamón
This highly regarded cured ham is produced in Spain and Portugal.
Jokbal
Jokbal is succulent braised pig’s trotters slow-cooked in an aromatic blend of soy sauce and spices for tender, savory slices.
John Dory
John Dory, or Saint Pierre fish, is a prized saltwater species known for its flat, round shape and distinctive dark spot.
Jowl
This is fatty bacon from pig cheeks, highly regarded in Italian cuisine. It infuses dishes with rich, savory notes, particularly pasta recipes such as carbonara.
Prepared Dishes
Jalebi
One of India’s most famous desserts, jalebi is a spiral dessert that takes time and practice to master. If you’re in India and craving a sweet treat, stop by almost any street stall and you will find tasty Jalebi on sale.
Jam
Jam is a smooth and creamy condiment used in sandwiches, toast, scones, and muffins all over the world. Jam is made by mashing and boiling fruit, then sweetening and preserving it with a large amount of sugar. Spread on toast, swirled into yogurt, filling delectable pastries and cookies, jam adds a natural fruity sweetness to so many meals and snacks. Jam is the British term for a spread made of preserved fruits.
Jambalaya
Jambalaya has a lot of similarities with recipes like paella and Jollof. The dish has a long and illustrious history, and it has since become a popular supper in the Deep South. It’s made out of sausage, pig, or chicken, as well as seafood like crawfish or shrimp. Jambalaya is a main dish originating in the Southeast USA, most famously New Orleans. There are two main categories of Jambalaya: Creole and Cajun. Creole jambalaya has a tomato base in which the meat, onions, garlic and celery are cooked before the rice is added. This lively Creole dish blends vegetables, rice, spices, meats, and seafood in a rich tomato base.
Japchae
Japchae means “mix vegetables”. But, Korean noodles, commonly known as glass noodles, are the major ingredient in this popular meal. For classic holidays and special events, japchae is a must-have food. Numerous varieties are using various ingredients. This dish features cellophane (or glass) noodles, a type of translucent, chewy noodle made from sweet potato starch, stir-fried with a medley of vegetables and seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil.
Jelly
The bright colors and wobbling consistency of jelly make it a popular delicacy. It’s made by combining fruit juice and boiling water, then adding gelatin to solidify the mixture into an elastic form. In the UK, it is a gelatin based dessert, known in the USA as jello.
Jelly Roll
It’s a puff pastry with 2 very thin sheets and a layer of raspberry jam in the center. After a heavy meal, a jelly roll is a nice treat to prepare. It’s a tasty treat that doesn’t take long to prepare.
Jamaican Jerk
The word “Jamaican jerk” can refer to either a spicy, slow-roasted meat marinade, slow-roasted pork meal made using the marinade. The dish originated in Jamaica. Jerk is actually a style of cooking and a seasoning mix. It refers to the Jamaican practice of dry rubbing/wet marinating meat with jerk seasoning and cooking it over a wood fire. This famous Jamaican dish is known for its bold and spicy flavors. Typically featuring beef and fiery flavors from Scotch bonnet peppers, the Jamaican patty is a spiced meat-filled pastry with a flaky crust.
Johnnycake
In North America, a johnnycake is a form of cornbread that offer as a staple dish. Use white or yellow cornmeal to make the cake. With the addition of sugar, the cornbread serves as sweet. A johnnycake is a kind of cornmeal flatbread, like a mix between cornbread and a pancake. It is eaten across the Atlantic coast of the US and Canada right down to the Caribbean. It was originally a Native American food. This is probably one of the oldest American food traditions, going back to the Indigenous peoples of North America who prepared flatbreads from cornmeal.
Jollof Rice
Jollof Rice is a West African rice dish with a long history. Senegal, Gambia, Nigeria, and Ghana are among the countries that enjoy it. Jollof rice is made by cooking rice on a wood fire and then letting it burn, giving it a rich, smokey flavor. There are several types of jollof rice throughout West Africa, but they all have the same distinctive taste which has made it so famous. Jollof rice is an aromatic West African dish that features rice cooked in a tomato-based sauce, infused with spices, vegetables, and meat or seafood.
Julienne
Julienne is a clear soup garnished with julienne vegetables. A vegetable cut into thin strips (usually used as a garnish). Julienne soup is one of my favorites. I eat it each time I feel homesick.
Jordan Almonds
Known as a dragée in French, Jordan almonds are almonds covered in hard sugar in pastel colors.
Junket
Junket is a type of dessert, with the main ingredient being rennet and sweetened milk.
Jook
Jook, also known as congee, is an East Asian rice porridge. It is made by boiling jasmine rice with flavorful ingredients like dry shrimp, pork bones or shitaki mushrooms.
Jameed
Jameed is a food from Jordan made from laban (essentially greek yogurt) which has been hardened and dried.
Jocoque
Jocoque is a Mexican fermented milk product. Traditionally, milk was left in a clay pot near a fire where it would curdle.
Jota
Jota is a stew from Slovenia, Croatia and Italy.
Jiaozi
Jiaozi, also known as potstickers in US English, are Chinese dumplings. Jiaozi is one of China’s most popular foods. These Chinese dumplings symbolize togetherness and fortune.