9 Vegetables That Start with X

Xà lách is the Vietnamese name for lettuce, a leafy vegetable boasting mild, slightly bitter, and crisp flavor. This vegetable provides a crunchy and juicy texture, particularly noticeable in its ribs and stems.

Its long, oval, green leaves typically form a loose head. For culinary purposes, the crunchy green is great for enjoying raw or cooked.

It serves well as a base for salads, as a wrap for various fillings, within sandwiches, or as a fresh garnish, adding both texture and flavor to a wide array of dishes.

A xerophyte is a plant adapted to survive in environments with limited liquid water, such as deserts, salt marshes, or acid bogs. These plants have developed a range of flavors, from tangy and sweet to nutty, exemplified by plants like cacti, pineapple, and quinoa.

Their texture is often thick, fleshy, or succulent, aiding in water storage. Xerophytes are characterized by waxy coatings, spines, hairs, or curled leaves.

Aside from being a food item, xerophyte even works in medicine, ornamental gardening, and ecological conservation.

Xi Lan Hua, more commonly known as broccoli, is a vegetable coming from the cabbage family, originating from the cultivation of wild cabbage in Europe. Usually, this veggie comes with a mild, slightly bitter, and earthy flavor.

Also, the slightly crunchy and firm texture of the green florets is a prized item in many dishes. Additionally, its thick stem is often peeled and sliced for cooking.

Broccoli is versatile in its culinary uses, especially for dishes ranging from salads and soups to stir-fries and casseroles.

Xi yang cai is a leafy watercress native to Europe and Asia celebrated for its peppery, spicy, and slightly bitter flavor. The vegetable possesses a crunchy and juicy texture, with its stems and leaves offering a refreshing bite.

Visually, xi yang cai features small, oval, dark green leaves and thin, hollow, branching stems, typically growing in clusters near water sources. They are fit for consuming raw or cooked, and great for making salads, soups, stir-fries, or sauces.

Xanthosoma brasiliense is a native plant of the Amazon, providing a mild, semi-sweet, and nutty flavor along with a hint of lemon.

The plant features large, fleshy, and succulent leaves and stems, which must be cooked to neutralize calcium oxalate crystals, making them safe to eat. Xanthosoma brasiliense is visually distinctive, with green, tree-like clusters of flowers forming umbrella-shaped clusters.

Commonly used in the Caribbean dish callaloo, xanthosoma brasiliense is also referred to as Tahitian spinach, tannier spinach, belembe, or Tahitian taro.

Xanthosoma sagittifolium is a plant originating from tropical America, highly appreciated for its mild, semi-sweet, and nutty flavor, enhanced by a subtle hint of lemon.

The vegetable has succulent leaves and stems that potentially cause itching if not cooked properly. Xanthosoma sagittifolium is characterized by its green, arrow-shaped leaves that droop downwards and its pale brown tubers, which have pink, yellow, or white flesh.

Known also as tannia, cocoyam, malanga, or arrowleaf elephant’s ear, xanthosoma sagittifolium is used in a similar way to potatoes, while the leaves can be prepared like spinach.

Xiang chun is often referred to as Chinese mahogany, Chinese cedar, or Chinese toon. It is renowned for its unique floral and onion-like flavor, which comes from volatile organosulfur compounds.

The plant possesses a tender and crisp texture, particularly in the young leaves and shoots, making it a delicacy in the spring. With reddish-brown or purple young leaves, they will mature into green with white or pale pink flowers blooming in umbrella-shaped clusters.

In Chinese cuisine, xiang chun is a popular vegetable, especially during the spring season. The young leaves and shoots are versatile, enjoyed either raw or cooked in various dishes such as salads, soups, stir-fries, or as a flavorful dumpling filling.

Xoconostle is a type of cactus fruit in Mexico and Central America. Locals like this fruit for its sour, tangy, and citrus-like flavor, similar to lemon or lime.

The fruit comes with a thin, spiny skin and a juicy, fleshy pulp that contains small seeds, offering a unique texture. The fruit typically has an oval or pear-like shape with an appearance that varies from yellow to green or red as it ripens.

In Mexican cuisine, xoconostle is used to add flavor to meat broths, and to create sauces, jams, jellies, and drinks.

Xà lách xoong is a type of watercress or cải xoong that lives in an aquatic or semi-aquatic environment. These crunchy veggies have a peppery and spicy flavor when raw and small round green leaves with white and green flowers.

It originates from Europe and Central Asia but is now widely cultivated and consumed around the world. Xà lách xoong is often added to a soup, being able to retain its crunchy profile and offering a mild sweet taste.