42 Common Foods That Start With U

Udon is a type of thick, wheat-flour noodle popular in Japanese cuisine. It is often served in a mildly flavored broth, topped with ingredients like scallions, tempura, or tofu.

With its neutral flavor profile, udon is a versatile noodle in the culinary world. Udon can be enjoyed in various styles, including hot in a soup or cold with a dipping sauce.

The most basic and traditional Japanese udon is Kake-udon. Kake means “pour,” just pour broth into the noodles and don’t add anything else.

Unagi is the Japanese term for freshwater eel, specifically the Japanese eel species.

It’s a staple in Japanese cuisine, often grilled and glazed with a sweet soy-based sauce. Unagi is typically served in dishes like unadon, where it’s laid over rice.

Unagi is typically enjoyed during the summer, particularly on the Day of the Ox, as it’s believed to provide strength and vitality.

An upside-down cake is a cake baked with its toppings at the bottom of the pan, typically in a skillet.

Ingredients like chopped or sliced fruits (such as apples, cherries, peaches, or pineapples), butter, and sugar are placed at the bottom before the cake batter is added.

After baking, the cake is flipped over to reveal the baked-on fruit topping. This style of cake became popular in the United States in the 1920s, with the pineapple upside-down cake being a well-known variant.

Ube is a purple yam and is usually found in the Philippines. It has become more and more popular in the kitchen today due to its catchy color and yummy taste.

Ube means “tuber” in Tagalog or “greater yam,” a purple yam with a vibrant hue bestowed by anthocyanins. Now ube is cultivated in many countries and sold in various forms, such as ube powder, ube jam, or ube extract.

The texture is moister than your average sweet potato, but it isn’t quite as sugary. However, compared to taro, ube has a sweeter profile.

This root vegetable features a sweet flavor, a hint of vanilla, and a nutty aroma. People use ube to make sweet treats and desserts such as ice creams, cookies, donuts, brownies, pancakes, milk tea, and chips.

Ube halaya, also known as halayang ube or ube jam, is a lovely Filipino treat. With its sweet, nutty flavor and vanilla scent, this creamy delicacy is a jam made from purple yam.

Commonly, locals will boil and mash the yam with condensed milk and optional additions like butter and grated coconut.

It’s a treat on its own, but it also plays a role in many Filipino desserts, including halo-halo and ice cream. You can also smear it on toast or cakes to enjoy.

Ube cake is a vibrant Filipino sponge cake, drawing its enticing purple color and sweet, rich flavor from ube halaya.

This dessert combines essential baking ingredients like flour, eggs, baking powder, milk, and cream of tartar to create a lush base.

To top it off, locals employ shredded coconut, ube-flavored whipped cream, and even cream cheese. If ube halaya is unavailable, ube powder or extract are fine substitutes to retain that signature purple allure.

Ugali, also known as ngima, nshima, gauli, or ubugali, is a thick cornmeal porridge from Africa. The dish is well-known in Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and many more.

It’s made from maize flour (cornmeal) mixed with water to form a dense, dough-like consistency. Often served as a side, it’s typically eaten with hands and used to scoop up meat or vegetable stews.

Ugali is described as a starchy, soft, and filling dish. Traditional ugali doesn’t contain salt, but you can add a pinch of it if you prefer to taste your ugali this way.

Ume, the Asian plum (Prunus mume), is a fruit that’s actually more akin to the apricot. This fruit is quite popular in China, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea.

This fruit features various names such as plum blossom, Japanese plum, Japanese apricot, or Chinese plum.

This Japanese treasure blooms from mid-winter to spring, usually considered a harbinger of good luck and fortune. Japanese folks see it as a talisman warding off evil and having a special place in temple gardens.

The fruit is all about tartness with a fruity aroma, making it a perfect base for umeboshi.

Umeboshi, translated as “salted Japanese plums,” “Japanese plums,” or “preserved plums,” are a popular kind of tsukemono, or pickled dish, in Japan.

These round fruits can be either smooth or wrinkled, offering an intense experience of salty and sour flavors thanks to their high citric acid content.

However, there is also sweet umeboshi, made with honey! These pickled gems are usually the go-to side dish for rice or a tasty filling for rice balls (onigiri) at breakfast or lunch.

Commonly, June is the traditional umeboshi-making month, coinciding with the ripening of the ume fruit.

Uttapam, also known as uttapam, uthapam, or uttapam, is a South Indian dish similar to a thick pancake, made from a fermented batter of rice flour and urad dal (black lentils).

Originating from Tamil Nadu, its name means “poured appam”, deriving from the words “appam”, “utthia” or “uttria”. Usually, there are two popular spins on the traditional uttapam, the vegetable uttapam and oats uttapam.

It’s distinguished from the thinner dosa by being thicker and softer, often topped with ingredients like onions, tomatoes, and chilies.

Indians typically accompany it with sambar or chutney for a flavorful start to the day!

Upma is a popular breakfast dish from the Indian subcontinent, made primarily from dry-roasted semolina or coarse rice flour.

It’s a thick, porridge-like meal often enhanced with various seasonings and vegetables.

The preparation involves roasting semolina, sautéing spices and vegetables in oil or ghee, and then combining them with the semolina and boiling water until the mixture becomes fluffy.

Upma is known for its versatility, with numerous regional variations that include different spices, vegetables, or even alternative grains like wheat or flattened rice.

This dish is more prevalent in Southern India, especially in Telugu, Karnataka, Maharashtrian, and Tamil food cultures.

Urchin, specifically sea urchin, is a delicacy enjoyed in various cuisines around the world. There are more than 900 species of sea urchins; only a few are used as food. Urchin is famous in Italy and the Mediterranean, Korea, Chile, and Japan.

Most of the time, Uni is the only edible part of an urchin that usually appears at sushi bars in Japan. Like salmon roe, its creamy texture embraces a deep umami flavor paired with a fresh, salty hint.

Sea urchins are small, round, and spiny. This ocean creature tastes somewhat like oysters and clams and combines well with sandwiches, sushi, and pasta.

Urda cheese is a unique, whey-based delight crafted in Southeast Europe, with notable roots in Serbia’s southern region of Pirot. The cheese mainly consists of sheep, goat, or cow milk whey, similar to the process of making ricotta.

Its smooth, crumbly texture and fresh aroma offer a mild, sweet, and milky flavor.

In Romania, Urda is a favorite addition to desserts like clătită and plăcintă. Whether you fancy cheesecakes or prefer the cheese in salads, Urdă can meet all your demands.

Usal, also known as Oosal, is an iconic dish from Maharashtra that centers around various legumes like peas, lentils, black-eyed beans, or hyacinth beans (matki or moong).

Typically, the beans are soaked, sprouted in around one to two days, and then stir-fried with onions, spices, and curry leaves, resulting in a thick gravy that warms the heart.

Ugli fruit belongs to the lemon family and is favored because of its high vitamin C content. It’s believed to be a cross between a grapefruit and an orange or tangerine.

First discovered in the 1910s, the ugli fruit is a unique species in the citrus family. Despite its name, it holds a lovely blend of sweet, tangy, and slightly bitter flavors.

Plus, it’s not one to overwhelm you with seeds, making it a rather user-friendly fruit. This citrus fruit also has another name which is Jamaican tangelo. It was first found in Jamaica about 80 years ago.

Urap is a vibrant salad dish from the kitchens of Indonesian and Javanese cuisine. The green mix takes center stage with its unique blend of steamed vegetables with a spiced grated coconut dressing.

Interestingly, Balinese cuisine labels it as Urab sayur. Furthermore, the dish can star in vegetarian meals, as a standalone salad, or complement other dishes.

Urad dal, also known as black urad dal or black lentils, is one of India’s famous and widely grown beans. The inside of the bean is opaque white. Cooked black urad dal is soft, fragrant, and nutritious.

These black gram splits are also a culinary star in dishes like idli and dal makhani.

This type of bean is used a lot in Indian cuisines, such as black sticky rice, bean paste, bean milk, dosa, papadum, vada, and more.

Uszka is a native dish of Poland and is considered a version of Asian dumplings. Uszka in Polish means little ears, and its name implies how it looks.

These small dumplings are easy and quick to prepare. They are filled with savory ingredients, usually chopped wild forest mushrooms and minced meat of your choice.

Fondly known as vushka, the dish has been an essential part of the heart of their Christmas Eve celebrations.

Commonly, locals savor Uszka as a quick snack or as a soup garnish. Also, Uszka can be served simply with butter, borscht, and herbs.

Uirō is a traditional Japanese steamed cake known for its chewy texture, similar to mochi.

It’s made from glutinous rice flour and sugar, and comes in various flavors like azuki bean paste, green tea, yuzu, strawberry, and chestnut.

Originating as a medicinal product in the Muromachi period, Uirō has evolved into a popular confectionery item, especially in Nagoya, and is available in different regional varieties across Japan.

Ukha is the iconic Russian treat when it comes to soup to serve in the cold winter. This soup is made of spices, root vegetables, seasonings, and whole fish.

Pronounced as ooh-hwha, ukha’s first recipe takes you back to the 17th century. Its concept is basically a savory broth simmered with fish bones, heads, and tails.

You can choose your favorite fish to make this soup, like Wels catfish, trout, cod, northern pike, salmon, sturgeon, and more. Plus, you can add potatoes and carrots to enhance the flavor and nutrition of this fish soup.

Ulava charu, a traditional soup from the Telugu-speaking regions of South India, is made from horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum), tamarind, and spices like red chilis, mustard, and cumin.

This rich, protein-packed lentil soup is known for its robust, earthy flavor and is typically enjoyed with rice or ghee.

Popular in winter, it’s often served with fresh cream or butter for added richness. Flavor boosters like fenugreek and mustard seeds can be added for extra zest.

Utah scones, or fried scones, are a delightful treat made from deep-fried dough. They’re a sweet delight made using basic ingredients like baking powder, flour, salt, and eggs before adding butter, honey, or maple syrup.

With an inspiration probably coming from Native American fry bread, these scones gained popularity among Mormons who possibly attained the recipe from the Navajo tribe.

Here’s a fun fact: these scones are nothing like English ones that are baked and served with tea or clotted cream.

U-No Bar is a sweet sensation from Annabelle Candy Company. Spotting them is simple, with the silver wrappers shining in the candy aisle.

Furthermore, the U-No bar’s truffle-esque core and chewy texture, alongside the white chocolate with ground almonds, is something your taste buds would certainly appreciate.

Utica Greens are a flavorful Italian American delicacy rooted in 1980s Utica restaurants. With inspiration from traditional Sicilian and Southern Italian cuisine, it features escarole sautéed with garlic and olive oil.

This dish, now savored in various US cities, is a feast for the palate while providing numerous nutrients to the body.

Undhiyu is a beloved Gujarati curry that is a favorite winter item bursting with seasonal vegetables. Purple yams, sweet potatoes, bananas, surti papdi (flat green beans), and tuvar (pigeon peas) are what you get in one delicious pot.

The flavorful curry also requires Muthiya, fried dumplings made from gram flour and bitter methi leaves for a delightful texture. Also, the mix of coconut, chili pepper, and spices gives the curry blend a remarkable flavor profile.

The preparation itself is fascinating. Typically, the pot, or matla, is filled with all these ingredients before being placed underground beneath a fiery blaze. Surprisingly, this upside-down method, or “Undhu”, gives undhiyu its name.

Once cooked, people add a drizzle of sesame oil and chutney to complete the dish. During Uttarayan, the Hindu festival marking the winter solstice, it’s almost impossible not to find undhiyu on the menu.

Umami burger is a special hamburger created by Adam Fleischman, who developed a cooking way to maximize an umami flavor. It has opened many restaurants all over the US states and in Japan.

“Umami” is a Japanese word that refers to the satisfying taste of meat.

Usban, also known as osben, is a traditional North African sausage savored in countries like Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.

This delicacy comes with a stuffed mixture of rice, herbs, lamb, chopped liver, and heart. It’s a dish that usually appears on special occasions, served alongside the main meal of rice or couscous.

Unni appam, which means “small rice cake”, is a treat that packs a punch of flavor hailing from Kerala, India. This deep-fried fritter combines rice flour, bananas, roasted coconuts, ghee, jaggery, and spices into a ball-shaped wonder.

Some modern recipes swap out bananas for jackfruit preserves, adding a different twist to the rich, sweet taste. These treats are an integral part of Onam Sadhya, a grand vegetarian feast during festivals.

Ul boov, or “shoe sole cake,” is a deep-fried Mongolian biscuit prepared painstakingly for special occasions, including the Mongolian Lunar New Year, Tsagaan Sar.

These brittle cookies boast an oval shape and elaborate designs, closely mimicking a shoe sole.

The preparation involves stacking the biscuits in odd-numbered layers to form a towering biscuit cake.

The layers are interlaced with aaruul, a sour-curdled milk product. Plus, the dish is a common item in many wedding events in Mongolia.

Uunijuusto is a Finnish dish traditionally made from colostrum, the first milk produced by cows after giving birth. It’s salted and baked to create a unique dish.

This dish is a dessert that’s more like a baked delight than cheese, despite its literal translation as “oven cheese”. Its secret lies in baking cow’s colostrum, the nutrient-rich first milk of a cow-calf, sprinkled with salt.

However, you can also use regular cow milk, eggs, and butter as alternatives. It’s best to enjoy Uunijuusto with berries, jam, or the luscious Finnish berry juice dessert, mehukeitto.

Umbricelli pasta is a traditional Italian pasta, originating from the region of Umbria. It is similar to spaghetti but thicker, shorter, and often hand-rolled, giving it a chewier texture.

The dough to make this pasta doesn’t contain eggs, only water and wheat flour; therefore, it might be a bit challenging to knead.

Typically served with hearty sauces like ragu or a truffle-based sauce, umbricelli highlights the rustic and earthy flavors of Umbrian cuisine.

Urnebes is a traditional Serbian dish, primarily found in the city of Niš and the southern region of Serbia.

It’s a spicy and flavorful spread or salad made from white cheese and hot chili peppers, often including kaymak (a creamy dairy product), salt, and various other spices.

The preparation style varies by region; in Southern Serbia, it typically features chopped peppers, while in other areas, ground dry peppers are used, giving it a distinct red color.

The spiciness of the Urnebes can vary greatly, ranging from mild to very hot. It’s commonly served as a side dish with grilled meats or barbecue, and sometimes includes garlic for added flavor.

Urgelia cheese, also known as Urgell or queso de l’Alt Urgell, comes from the Catalan Pyrenees mountain region in northern Spain. It’s a product of pasteurized cow’s milk cured for a brief period, resulting in a semi-soft, creamy texture.

This wheel-shaped cheese carries an infused yeast brine rind before initiating the curing process. The cheese also carries a hint of saltiness alongside its aromatic qualities and robust flavor.

Whether it’s fresh in salads or simply as a snack, Urgelia cheese adds a dash of Spanish charm to your meals with its semi-soft texture. To top it off, you can pair this cheese with dry burgundies, fruity wines, or even a good beer to enhance its flavor profile.

Urfa pepper flakes or urfa biber are dried Turkish chili pepper, which tastes sweet with a hint of smoke and dried fruits.

Although it appears less spicy than many other types of pepper, it provides more lasting heat.

Hailing from Turkey’s Urfa region; urfa biber is a distinctive spice. It comes with a combination of sweet, smoky, and salty flavors.

Urfa biber is collected when reaching dark maroon, and after being processed, it features a deep purple to a dark, purplish-black.

This versatile spice is a secret weapon for soups and stews, elevating their taste profiles. You can also sprinkle it over raw or roasted veggies.

Ugba, also known as African oil bean seed, is a traditional Igbo dish from Nigeria. It’s made from fermented oil bean seeds, which are sliced and mixed with spices, palm oil, and sometimes fish or meat.

This dish is known for its distinct, slightly tangy flavor and is often served at ceremonies and festive occasions.

Ugba is not only a cultural delicacy in Eastern Nigeria but is also appreciated in other parts of West Africa for its unique taste and nutritional value.

Ullucus tuberosus, also known by papa lisa, chugua, olluco, ruba, or melloco, is a root vegetable hailing from the Andean region.

Standing tall beside mashua, potato, and oca, it’s a key root crop in South America. With a color palette rivaling a rainbow, ulluco tubers come in yellow, purple, red, white, green, and orange.

On the inside, you’ll find white or vibrant yellow flesh. In terms of flavor, ulluco tastes like a cross between beetroot and potato.

Ugni molinae, commonly known as Chilean guava berry, strawberry myrtle, and New Zealand cranberry, originated in Chile and southern Argentina and has grown widely in Australia and New Zealand.

Blueberry-sized and oval-shaped, Ugni molinae has more than one trick up its sleeve.

On the one hand, it’s a charming ornamental plant, lending beauty to any space. On the other, its fruits offer a blend of sweet and tart flavors, like a delightful mashup of guavas and strawberries.

This Chilean-originated fruit tastes fantastic and can mimic the flavor of cotton candy. It’s used in desserts and to make Murtado, a famous Chilean liqueur.

Umbu fruit is a small, yellowish-green fruit native to the Brazilian semi-arid region, particularly in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia.

It balances a sweet-acidic flavor that blends in its succulent flesh. The name ‘umbu’ translates to “tree that gives drink”.

Umbu is one of the few plants that can thrive in harsh, dry semi-desert land and plays an essential role in the diet of local people. It is perfect for making jam, fruit cheese, and ice cream.

Umibudo, also known as “sea grapes” or “green caviar,” is a type of seaweed popular in Japanese, Filipino, and other Southeast Asian cuisines.

The tiny bubbles on the stems give a satisfying crunch and burst open to release a salty, umami-rich flavor.

Preparing umibudo is simple: just soak it in cold water, let it expand, and rinse off the salt. It’s perfect for raw consumption, added to sushi, mixed into a salad, or paired with rice.

Ububese fruits, or Annona senegalensis senegalensis as scientists prefer, is often referred to as wild soursop or African custard apple.

It has a mild, white pulp that brings pineapples to mind. Besides the tasty fruit, the plant also offers edible leaves that are pretty good raw.

And let’s not forget about the essential oil contained in the fruit, adding another layer to its intriguing charm.

Usuma, or Bunchosia argentea is a wonderful plant of the South American rainforests.

It’s an olive-sized, oblong fruit with hairy, color-changing skin – going from dark green to red as it ripens. In addition, the plant is an ideal ornamental tree in Florida.

It tastes like peanut butter and can effortlessly slide into smoothies, milkshakes, and jams, adding a distinct, delectable twist.

Upland cress is a superfood with multiple aliases like land cress and early wintercress. The vegetable has a bold taste, more pungent and peppery than its cousin, watercress.

Its leaves and stems are tender, not quite as crunchy, yet they’re packed with vitamins and antioxidants.

Cultivating the upland cress is a breeze, requiring less water than a watercress, making it a gardener’s friend.

Raw or cooked, it’s versatile in the kitchen, adding a peppery punch to many dishes such as salads, pasta dishes, and sandwiches, or sauteed, boiled, or steamed for a nutritious side.