24 Popular Food That Start With Q

Quiche is a French staple pastry consisting of a pastry crust and a filling of eggs and milk or cream. Extra ingredients for the filling include vegetables (especially spinach), cheese, meat, seafood, or even fruits.

Quiche was spread to Britain by British troops who came home from France after WWII. Around the same time, this tart also became massively popular in America.

The traditional version is rich and hearty. Quiche Loraine is a famous variant made with ham or bacon.

Quesadilla is a famous Mexican dish made by filling a tortilla (preferably a corn one) with the ingredients of your choice and then baking it on a stove or girdle. The tortilla should have an oval shape and be longer than the one used for making a taco.

Authentic quesadillas have to include a Mexican cheese variety, such as Chihuahua cheese or Oaxaca, but the rest is up to personal preferences.

A classic quesadilla should have mashed, refried beans, roasted poblano peppers, and chorizo, but eggs, bacon, chocolate, caramel, or fruits can also appear.

They began as a way to use up leftover foods from the night before, and people have experimented extensively with the recipe.

Quinoa is a South American plant grown for its seeds, which is typically cooked and eaten like grains. Quinoa seeds are gluten-free and very nutritious, with a high content of fiber, antioxidants, protein, and minerals.

While quinoa is superior to wheat, rice, or even oatmeal in nutritional terms, it is also much pricier.

To cook quinoa, feel free to add it to quinoa salads, pancakes, soups, spring rolls, etc. Quinoa sold in packages doesn’t need further rinsing. However, eating too much quinoa can cause bloating and stomach cramps.

Quorn is a meat substitute product manufactured by the Philippines-based company Monde Nissin Corporation. This variety of fake meat looks like minced meat and must be cooked first.

Many Quorn products are vegetarian since they are produced from egg whites and a type of fungus called Fusarium venenatum. Quorn is classified as a mycoprotein (proteins from fungi). People on a vegan diet should try egg-free Quorn made with potato starch.

With a squishy texture and a mild, chicken-like flavor, Quorn makes a valuable addition to a meat-free diet. This meat substitute is excellent at absorbing the flavors of other ingredients and creating delectable dishes.

Quai is a type of poultry classified as dark meat (the same as duck and pigeons). This meat tastes like chicken but has more flavors and gaminess.

With a weight of less than 5 ounces, a quail is much smaller than a chicken. Therefore, grilling or roasting a whole quail is fairly easy. Quail bones are small and tender, so you can eat them as well if you love a crunchy bite.

In nutritional terms, quail meat is similar to chicken, except for a larger amount of iron and vitamins.

While quail meat may seem like an exotic delicacy to many people, it has been around for thousands of years.

Queso blanco refers to a large category of soft, crumbly fresh cheese with a white color in Latin America. Its name literally means “white cheese.”

Although the exact method to prepare queso blanco varies from place to place, this cheese always features cow milk (or goat milk or a mix of both) heated with an acid (such as vinegar). This feature distinguishes it from queso fresco, a similar cheese made with rennet.

While highly perishable, queso blanco is mild and sweet, making it the top ingredient for whipping up toppings and dips for crispy tortilla chips, crackers, burritos, or roasted vegetables.

Queso fresco, literally “fresh milk,” is any Latin American cheese boasting a white color, soft texture, and slightly tangy flavor. Cow milk (or a mixture of cow milk and goat milk) is its source.

Some people use the two terms queso fresco and queso blanco interchangeably, and there are indeed many similarities between them.

However, queso fresco contains rennet and is available in much fewer varieties than queso blanco. In addition, queso fresco is mainly popular in Mexican cuisine.

While queso fresco softens when heated, it doesn’t melt easily. You can use this “fresh cheese” to make cheese dips, burritos, or toppings for soups and casseroles.

Quince is a pear-shaped fruit with tough flesh and a very sour flavor in its raw form. However, this exquisite pome fruit sweetens and softens significantly, without turning mushy, when you cook it properly.

Therefore, people often use quinces to make jams, jelly, puddings, juices, tarts, and more. Cooked quinces are delicious on their own, but don’t hesitate to add sugar and spices to the water to get more flavor.

Although quinces still ripen after being harvested, people often leave them on the tree to develop the full flavor.

Quark, also known as quarg or dry curd cheese, is a fresh dairy product made by heating soured milk until it curdles and then straining the mixture. Quark is very similar to soft cheese, so sometimes it goes by names like pot cheese.

Quark isn’t too sweet or sour; its flavor is a combination of Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and sour cream. This fresh dairy product is especially suitable for vegetarians due to the lack of rennet.

In addition, quark is rich in protein and calcium yet low in sugar and saturated fats compared to other dairy products.

Quenelle is a type of rich and savory food commonly used as a garnish for fancy dishes, a cream sauce, or an entree.

Quenelle consists of fish (or meat), cream, bread crumbs, and egg bindings poached in stock. Pikes, veal, chicken, or livers are a few popular protein ingredients. A few modern versions feature ricotta, sorbet, ice cream, whipped cream, or mashed potatoes.

Regardless of the core ingredients, quenelles always have a three-sided oval shape resembling a dumping. The shape is created by using two spoons.

Quindim is a Brazilian custard dessert in the shape of an upturned cup. Its golden, glossy appearance glistens no matter what angle you behold it.

Quindim features a liberal use of egg yolks, showcasing its Portuguese origins. But for a tropical twist, the baked dessert also boasts a lot of sugar and ground coconut. The result is a highly sweet and creamy treat that goes well with tea and coffee.

Brazillians usually chill quindim beforehand and serve it in slices. There is a ring-shaped variant called quindão.

Quenepa is another name for Spanish lime, a tropical fruit alternatively known as limoncillo, guinep, mamón, etc. Its birthplace lies in South America.

This citrus fruit is more similar to longans or lychees than to limes, with soft flesh having the color of peaches and the soft, tender texture of ripe mangoes.

Beneath the green skin of a quenepa is a pleasant mixture of sweetness and sourness. Simply peel the juice and enjoy the raw pulp. Also, consider turning this fruit into beverages, jams, jellies, and desserts.

Quavers are a deep-fried snack brand produced by the British snack food manufacturer Walkers. Launched in 1968, Quavers have remained popular in the US and Europe.

Their main ingredients are potato starch and flavorings. The pieces have a curled-up rectangle shape that is somewhat like a quaver (an eighth note) in musical sheets, hence the name.

The most sought-after Quavers flavors are prawn cocktail, salt and vinegar, cheese, and BBQ sauce.

Qatayef is a very popular fried Arabic dessert during Ramadan. Created during the time of the Fatimid Caliphate, it has several other names, like katayef or qata’if.

Locals prepare qatayef by frying or baking a pancake from a yeast batter, then filling it with sweet ingredients to create a dumpling-like shape. Popular filling choices are cream, cheese, dried fruits, nuts (like almonds and pistachios), and even Nutella.

The fried dessert is sometimes decorated with sugar syrup or clotted cream. The world’s largest qatayef was prepared in 2010 in Bethlehem and weighed nearly 230 pounds (104.8 kilograms).

Qottab is a small Persian cookie-like pastry with an almond-based or walnut-based filling and a soft wheat dough covering. Additional ingredients include powdered sugar for coating and spices like cinnamon, orange blossoms, and rose water.

Qottab is a traditional treat for Nowruz (Persian New Year), an important holiday that usually falls on March 21st. Its birthplace is the Iranian city of Yazd.

Queijadinha is a Brazilian tart made of cheese, grated coconut, sweetened condensed milk, butter, egg yolks, and coconut milk.

The making of queijadinha requires using a water bath to turn the ingredients into a soft and creamy treat. Since this tart tends to stick to cupcake cups, you should let it cool thoroughly before removing it. Baking queijadinha with ramekins is another way.

There are many variations of queijadinha, such as the Brazilian egg custard Bom-Bocado.

Quesito is a Puerto Rican baked pastry with a cigar-like shape and a sweet filling with tropical flavors. The combo of cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla is the most popular flavor, but there are many other options.

A few quesito variations are filled with dulce de lechosa (spiced papaya jam), piña colada (a rum-based cocktail), and guava jam. These flavorings all contrast excellently with the sugar syrup-coated puff pastry exterior.

Quetschentaart is an enormously famous dessert in Luxembourg, with whipped cream and coffee as common accompaniments. The modern quetschentaart recipe was laid out in a cookbook by Ketty Thull, the most influential Luxembourg cook and cookbook writer.

Though quetschentaart means “plum tart” in English, its main ingredient is actually zwetschgen or prune plum. This type of fruit has an oval shape and a sweeter flavor than ordinary plums.

This Luxembourgian tart is usually prepared in autumn when local prune plums are in season. It is a must-have treat for Quetschefest (annual plum festivals).

Qurabiya is a very popular shortbread biscuit in Arabic and Ottoman cuisines, with various shapes and names.

Whether known as ghriyyaba, ghoriba, or ghorayeba, qurabiya always guarantees a sweet, mellow flavor and a distinct crunch.

The most popular ingredients for qurabiya are wheat flour or semolina, butter, sugar, and nuts. Flavorings like cinnamon, orange zest, and rose water are also important. Some variations come with nuts, like ground almonds or chopped pistachios.

Since qurabiya is hard and brittle, many people like to dunk the biscuit in coffee or mint tea first before enjoying it.

Quahog is a large clam or hard-shelled clam with a shell length between 2.8 and 4.3 inches. This seafood is easy to find in America, and wild-caught ocean quahogs are seen as a sustainable food option.

Quahogs offer tender and juicy meat with a mildly sweet and briny flavor. To prepare quahogs, you can steam, grill, bake, or use it in chowders. In addition, some people are keen on eating raw quahogs with lemon juice, cocktail sauce, or horseradish.

Queenfish usually refers to the Seriphus politus and Scomberoides commersonnianus fish species.

The former is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, while the latter is called Talang queenfish and found in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean, especially around Australia.

With a color of blue-gray to tan, Seriphus politus can grow to 12 inches in length and has a shiny silver belly and a dark horizontal line running along the long body.

Scomberoides commersonnianus can reach more than 35 inches; its head is bluish-gray and has sharp teeth, while the silvery body has some large dark spots.

Queenfish are dry and firm but offer rich and flavorful flesh with few hints of fishy odors, excellent for grilling and searing. But Talang queenfish aren’t cut out for freezing.

Qâlat daqqa, pronounced ka-la-dak-sa, is a Tunisian spice blend consisting of nutmeg, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, and ground grains of paradise (also known as Guinea grains).

Sweet and warm qâlat daqqa has many culinary uses, such as enhancing the flavor of desserts, making dry rubs for meats, or increasing the deliciousness of soups, stews, and grilled dishes.

Quatre épices is a popular spice blend in French cuisine, dating back to the 18th century. This spice blend is a fragrant addition to savory dishes like braised dishes, soups, and stews.

Quatre épices means “four spices” in French. The term refers to the four ingredients in this mix: cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cracked black pepper or white pepper.

Although quatre épices sounds like allspice, they are two completely different things; allspice is a single spice, not a spice blend.

Quandong is an exotic fruit from Australia, famous for its catchy ruby-red color and uniquely tart flavor with salty and earthy hints. Some people describe its taste as a blend of apricots, rhubarbs, and lentils.

Aboriginal people have long consumed the beautiful quandong as a snack in both fresh and dried forms.

Nowadays, there are more ways to exploit the exquisite taste of quandong: juicing, making pie fillings, preparing sauces and relishes, etc. The seeds, known as quandong nuts, are also edible.

Quandong is a drought-tolerant fruit tree that thrives in arid and semi-arid areas of Australia. However, quandong is hemiparasitic, living on water and nutrients extracted from host plants. Therefore, cultivating the plant is a challenge.

Now that you have an overview of general Q-named foods, let’s delve into specific dishes, fruits, and vegetables beginning with this letter.