How to say 134 delicious vegetables in Spanish, from turnip to taro

Whether you’re a die-hard foodie or are simply conscious of your diet, learning how to say the vegetables in Spanish will help you unlock new flavors.

Vegetables are a big part of the human diet. They provide us with the fiber, nutrients, and essential amino acids we need to survive. Plus, vegetables are integral to many dishes around the world.

The best part about vegetables is how diverse they are. Vegetables come in all colors, shapes, and sizes, giving us a wide variety of tastes and flavors. While that’s great news for our taste buds, it also means there is a lot of vegetable vocabulary to memorize as we learn Spanish.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Learning how to say all the vegetables in Spanish can be a worthwhile challenge that can help us in many ways.

Here are a few reasons why you should learn about vegetables:

• You’ll be able to understand Spanish menus more easily.
• You’ll be able to ask for substitutes or modifications when you order at restaurants.
• Spanish cooking recipes will be much easier to understand.
• Negotiating prices at food markets in Latin America will be easier.
• You’ll learn about Latin American vegetables you may not have heard of before.

So, with all this in mind, what’s not to love about learning all the different vegetables?

We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of vegetables divided by categories, followed by how to say them in Spanish to make the learning process much easier. As a bonus, we’ve also included some handy tips to help you memorize all the vegetable vocabulary very quickly.

If you’re hungry, you might want to go get a bite to eat before we get started with our comprehensive list of Spanish veggies. There’s no way you won’t work up an appetite after learning about so many vegetables! Let’s get started.

List of vegetables in Spanish

Of course, the first thing you should know before we start is how to say vegetables in Spanish. Luckily, it’s quite similar to English: vegetales. The difference is in the pronunciation, as it sounds like veh-hay-tah-less (bexɛˈtales) in Spanish.

Now let’s get into all the wonderful vegetables the Earth provides for us. We’ll break down the list into different types of vegetables to make it more manageable.

Root vegetables in Spanish

Root vegetables are tasty, crunchy, and versatile. Many cuisines are built on vegetables like carrots, ginger, and radishes. Then there are other tasty root vegetables that have a loyal following, like yucca and beets. So, if you’re looking to master all the root vegetables or simply want to learn how to say turnip in Spanish, the table below is for you.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Beet	El betabel	ɛl bɛtaˈβɛl	Elle bay-tah-belle
Carrot	La zanahoria	la sanaˈoɾja	La za-nah-oh-re-ah
Celeriac	El apio nabo	ɛl ˈapjo ˈnaβo	Elle ah-pee-oh nah-bow
Daikon	El daikon	ɛl ˈdai̯kõn	Elle dai-kon
Parsley Root	La raíz de perejil	la raˈis̬ ðe pɛɾeˈxil	La rah-ease day pay-ray-heel
Parsnip	La chirivía	la ʧiɾiˈβia	La chee-re-vee-ah
Radish	El rábano	ɛl ˈraβano	Elle ra-bah-no
Salsify root	La raíz de salsifí	la raˈis̬ ðe salsiˈfi	La rah-ease day sal-see-fee
Swede	La naba	la ˈnaβa	La nah-bah
Turnip	El nabo	ɛl ˈnaβo	Elle nah-boh
Horseradish	El rábano picante	ɛl ˈraβano piˈkãnte	Elle rah-bah-no pee-kahn-tay
Yucca	La yuca	la ˈɟʝuka	La you-kah
Fennel	El hinojo	ɛl iˈnoxo	El e-no-ho
Ginger	El jengibre	ɛl xɛ̃nˈxiβɾe	El hen-he-bray
Water Chestnut	La castaña de agua	la kasˈtaɲa ðe ˈaɣwa	La kas-tah-nya day ah-goo-ah

Tuber vegetables in Spanish

Often confused with root vegetables, tuber vegetables are parts of a plant as opposed to being the entire plant. For example, a carrot is the entire plant (root vegetable), whereas a potato is only a part of a potato plant (tuber). So, you can get several vegetables from a tuber plant, whereas only one vegetable from a root plant.

There aren’t that many tuber vegetables, but some of them are heavy-hitters. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, and even taro are wildly popular vegetables that do well in a variety of cuisines. If you love potatoes, you’ll find the table below very helpful.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Cassava	La tapioca	la taˈpjoka	La tah-pee-oh-cah
Jerusalem artichoke	La alcachofa de Jerusalén	la alkaˈʧofa ðe xɛɾusaˈlɛ̃n	La al-kah-cho-fa day hay-roo-sah-len
Potato	La papa	la ˈpapa	La pah-pah
Taro	El taro	ɛl ˈtaɾo	Elle tah-roh
Yam	El ñame	ɛl ˈɲame	Elle nya-meh
Sweet Potato	El camote	ɛl kaˈmote	Elle kah-mo-tay

Bulb vegetables in Spanish

Bulb vegetables are some of the most important vegetables for cooking. While you probably won’t munch on an onion or a clove of raw garlic, what would cooking be without some sautéed onion and garlic? Check out the table below to learn about all the varieties of bulb vegetables.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Fennel Bulb	El bulbo de hinojo	ɛl ˈbulβo ðe i̯ˈnoxo	Elle bull-boh day e-no-ho
Garlic	El ajo	ɛl ˈaxo	Elle ah-ho
Leek	El porro	ɛl ˈporo	Elle poh-roh
Onion	La cebolla	la seˈβoʝa	La say-boh-ya
Shallot	El chalote	ɛl ʧaˈlote	Elle cha-low-tay
Chives	El cebollino	ɛl seβoˈʝino	Elle say-boh-ye-no
Red Onion	La cebolla morada	la seˈβoʝa moˈɾaða	La say-boh-ya moh-rah-dah
Scallions	El cebollín	ɛl seβoˈʝĩn	Elle say-boh-yeen

Stems and shoots in Spanish

Stems and shoots are almost like edible grass, in a way. These vegetables grow out of the ground and can regrow after they’re harvested. In fact, many people even keep shoots like lemongrass at home and harvest it for personal use. If you’re a fan of stems and shoots in the kitchen, check out the table below.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Asparagus	El espárrago	ɛl ɛsˈparaɣo	Elle es-pah-rah-go
White Asparagus	El espárrago blanco	ɛl ɛsˈparaɣo ˈβlãnko	Elle es-pah-rah-go blahn-co
Bamboo Shoots	Los brotes de bambú	los ˈbɾotes̬ ðe βãmˈbu	Los bro-tess day bam-boo
Celery Stalks	El apio	ɛl ˈapjo	Elle ah-pee-oh
Kohlrabi	El col rábano	ɛl ˈkol ˈraβano	Elle col rah-bah-no
Rhubarb	El ruibarbo	ɛl rwiˈβaɾβo	Elle roo-e-bar-bo
Hearts of Palm	Los palmitos	los palˈmitos	Los pal-me-tos
Lemongrass	El zacate limón	ɛl saˈkate liˈmõn	Elle za-kah-tay lee-mon

Flower vegetables in Spanish

Flowers can be very romantic and a great way to show someone that you love and appreciate them. Flower vegetables, unfortunately, do not carry the same romantic connotations as flowers do.

How romantic would it be to receive a bouquet of cauliflowers? Perhaps a foodie would appreciate the gesture (I know I would!), but you’re better off sticking to flowers for romance and flower vegetables for meal prep. But—if you’re looking for romantic ways to express love in Spanish, we’ve got another blog post for you.

For now, let’s get into how to say these flowery vegetables.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Artichoke	La alcachofa	la alkaˈʧofa	La al-kah-cho-fa
Broccoli	El brócoli	ɛl ˈbɾokoli	Elle bro-koh-lee
Broccolini	El broccolini	ɛl ˈbɾokolini	Elle bro-koh-lee-knee
Cauliflower	El coliflor	ɛl koliˈfloɾ	Elle koh-lee-flor
Zucchini	La calabacita	la kalaβaˈsita	La kah-la-bah-see-tah
Pumpkin flower	La flor de calabaza	la ˈfloɾ ðe kalaˈβasa	La flor day kah-lah-ba-za

Fungi and mushrooms in Spanish

Fungi are some of the most interesting organisms on Earth. Although they’re not technically classified as vegetables (or plants, even!), mushrooms and different kinds of edible fungi are treated just like other vegetables in everyday life.

Here’s a table with some of the most common fungi and mushrooms in Spanish.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Corn Smut	El huitlacoche	ɛl wit̚laˈkoʧe	Elle wee-tlah-koh-chay
Button mushroom	El champiñón	ɛl ʧãmpiˈɲõn	Elle cham-pee-nyon
Enoki mushroom	El champiñón enoki	ɛl ʧãmpiˈɲon eˈnoki	Elle cham-pee-nyon eh-no-key
Oyster mushroom	El champiñón ostra	ɛl ʧãmpiˈɲon ˈostɾa	Elle cham-pee-nyon os-trah
Portobello mushroom	El champiñón portobello	ɛl ʧãmpiˈɲõm poɾtoˈβeʝo	Elle cham-pee-nyon pore-toh-bell-oh
Shiitake mushroom	La seta china	la ˈsɛta ˈʧina	La say-tah chee-nah
White ear mushroom	El hongo blanco	ɛl ˈõnɡo ˈβlãnko	Elle on-go blahn-koh
Truffles	Las trufas	las ˈtɾufas	Las true-fahs

Leaves in Spanish

Edible leaves are excellent sources of vitamins and nutrients. Whether you make a salad, a smoothie, or a stew with them, you know you’re nourishing your body when you cook something with leafy greens. Here are some of our favorite leaves for cooking in Spanish.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Bok Choy	El bok choy	ɛl ˈbok ˈʧoi̯	Elle bok choy
Brussels Sprouts	Las coles de Bruselas	las ˈkoles̬ ðe βɾuˈselas	Las koh-less day broo-seh-las
Cabbage	El repollo	ɛl reˈpoʝo	Elle ray-po-yo
Kale	La col rizada	la ˈkol riˈsaða	La kol re-zah-dah
Lettuce	La lechuga	la leˈʧuɣa	La lay-choo-ga
Radicchio	El radicchio	ɛl raˈðikʧjo	Elle rah-dee-key-oh
Chard	La acelga	la aˈsɛlɣa	La ah-sell-ga
Spinach	La espinaca	la ɛspiˈnaka	La ess-pee-nah-kah
Arugula	La arúgula	la aˈɾuɣula	La ah-roo-goo-la
Coriander	El cilantro	ɛl siˈlãntɾo	Elle see-lan-troh
Parsley	El perejil	ɛl pɛɾeˈxil	Elle pay-ray-heel
Watercress	El berro	ɛl ˈbɛro	Elle beh-ro
Collard greens	La berza	la ˈbɛɾsa	La bear-zah
Dandelion	Los dientes de león	los ˈdjɛ̃ntes̬ ðe leˈõn	Los dee-en-tess day lee-on
Iceberg lettuce	La lechuga iceberg	la leˈʧuɣa i̯seˈβɛɾɣ	La lay-choo-ga iceberg
Romaine lettuce	La lechuga romana	la leˈʧuɣa roˈmana	La lay-choo-ga roh-mah-nah
Endive	La endibia	la ɛ̃nˈdiβja	La en-dee-bee-ah
Mustard greens	La mostaza de la India	la mosˈtasa ðe la ˈĩndja	La moss-tah-zah day lah in-dee-ah

“Fruit” vegetables in Spanish

You’ve probably heard of the heated debate on whether tomatoes are fruits or vegetables. Although treated as a vegetable, a tomato is officially a fruit. The same is true for many other impostor vegetables that we love and consume just like any other vegetable. Here are some of the most popular ones.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Chili	El chile	ɛl ˈʧile	Elle chee-lay
Cucumber	El pepino	ɛl peˈpino	Elle pay-pee-no
Eggplant	La berenjena	la bɛɾɛ̃nˈxena	La bay-ren-heh-nah
Okra	La ocra	la ˈokɾa	La oh-kra
Plantain	El plátano macho	ɛl ˈplatano ˈmaʧo	Elle plah-tah-no mah-cho
Avocado	El aguacate	ɛl aɣwaˈkate	Elle ah-goo-ah-kah-tay
Pumpkin	La calabaza	la kalaˈβasa	La kah-lah-bah-zah
Spaghetti Squash	La calabaza espagueti	la kalaˈβasa ɛspaˈɣɛti	La kah-lah-bah-zah ess-pah-geh-tee
Tomatillo	El tomatillo	ɛl tomaˈtiʝo	Elle toh-mah-tee-yo
Tomato	El tomate	ɛl toˈmate	Elle toh-mah-teh
Chayote	El chayote	ɛl ʧaˈʝote	Elle chah-yo-teh
Bitter Melon	El melón amargo	ɛl meˈlon aˈmaɾɣo	Elle may-lon ah-mar-go
Jackfruit	La yaca	la ˈɟʝaka	La yah-kah
Vanilla	La vainilla	la bai̯ˈniʝa	La vah-e-knee-ya
Winter Melon	La calabaza china	la kalaˈβasa ˈʧina	La kah-lah-bah-zah chee-nah
Bell Pepper	El pimiento	ɛl piˈmjɛ̃nto	Elle pee-me-en-toh
Cayenne Pepper	El pimiento de Cayena	ɛl piˈmjɛ̃nto ðe kaˈʝena	Elle pee-me-en-toh day kah-ye-nah
Habanero	El habanero	ɛl aβaˈnɛɾo	Elle ah-bah-nay-ro
Jalapeño	El jalapeño	ɛl xalaˈpeɲo	Elle ha-lah-pay-nyo
Peperoncino	El peperoncino	ɛl pepɛɾõnˈsino	Elle peh-peh-ron-chee-no

Seeds (legumes) in Spanish

Seeds and legumes are fantastic sources of plant-based protein. Even if you’re not a vegetarian, consuming plant protein is a great way to improve digestion and help our organs do their job.

Plus, if you’re a fan of Mexican and Latin American food, you’ll find that legumes like black beans, corn, and chickpeas are staple foods in these regions.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Beans	Los frijoles	los fɾiˈxoles	Los free-hole-ess
Black Beans	Los frijoles negros	los fɾiˈxoles̬ ˈneɣɾos	Los free-hole-ess
Pinto	Los frijoles pintos	los fɾiˈxoles ˈpĩntos	Los free-hole-ess peen-toss
Kidney Beans	Los frijoles colorados	los fɾiˈxoles koloˈɾaðos	Los free-hole-ess koh-lo-rah-dos
Edamame	El edamame	ɛl eðaˈmame	Elle eh-da-ma-meh
Peas	Los chícharos	los ˈʧiʧaɾos	Los chee-cha-ross
Snow Peas	Los tirabeques	los tiɾaˈβekes	Los tee-rah-beh-kess
Snap Peas	Los guisantes	los ɡiˈsãntes	Los gee-san-tess
Corn	El maiz	ɛl ˈmai̯s	Elle mah-is
Chickpea	El garbanzo	ɛl ɡaɾˈβãnso	Elle gar-bahn-zo
Fava Beans	Las habas	las ˈaβas	Las ah-bass
Lentil	La lenteja	la lɛ̃nˈtexa	La len-tay-ha
Peanut	El cacahuate	ɛl kakaˈwate	Elle kah-kah-ooh-ah-teh
Soybean	La soya	la ˈsoʝa	La so-ya

Sea vegetables in Spanish

Sea vegetables are easily forgotten as most people don’t think of underwater crops when they think of vegetables. However, sea vegetables are a staple of East Asian cuisines, with Japanese culture being one of the most eager to incorporate sea vegetables. So, if you’re a fan of sushi and Japanese food, you’ll want to learn the vocabulary below.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Wakame	El wakame	ɛl waˈkame	Elle wah-kah-meh
Sea Lettuce	La lechuga de mar	la leˈʧuɣa ðe ˈmaɾ	La lay-choo-ga day mar
Green Laver	Las algas verdes	las ˈalɣas̬ ˈβɛɾðes	Las al-gas ver-des
Nori	El nori	ɛl ˈnoɾi	El no-ree

Latin American vegetables in Spanish

Learning a new language is a great way to explore new cultures and discover new things. Even if you’re studying Spanish online at home, you can pretend to go on a trip through Latin America by learning about the vegetables local to each country.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of the local vegetables you can expect to find at the market next time you go to one of these Latin American countries!

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation	Country
Nopal	El nopal	ɛl noˈpal	Elle no-pal	Mexico
Jicama	La jícama	la ˈxikama	La he-kah-ma	Mexico
Poblano pepper	El chile poblano	ɛl ˈʧile poˈβlano	Elle chee-lay poe-blah-no	Mexico
Chipotle	El chipotle	ɛl ʧiˈpot̚le	Elle chee-poe-tlay	Mexico
Chia Seeds	La chía	la ˈʧia	La chee-ah	Mexico
Red Potato	La papa sabanera	la ˈpapa saβaˈnɛɾa	La pah-pah sah-bah-nay-ra	Colombia
Creole Potato	La papa criolla	la ˈpapa ˈkɾjoʝa	La pah-pah cree-oh-ya	Colombia
Exploding Cucumber	El cuchinito	ɛl kuʧiˈnito	Elle coo-chee-knee-toe	Colombia
Oca	La oca	la ˈoka	La oh-kah	Peru
Ají amarillo chili	El ají amarillo	ɛl aˈxi amaˈɾiʝo	Elle ahi ah-mah-re-yo	Peru
Maca	La maca	la ˈmaka	La mah-kah	Peru
Ulluco	El ulluco	ɛl uˈʝuko	Elle oo-yu-coh	Peru
Water Root	El yacón	ɛl ɟʝaˈkõn	Elle yah-con	Peru
Mashua	La mashua	la ˈmaswa	La mah-shoe-ah	Peru
Purple Corn	El maiz morado	ɛl ˈmai̯s̬ moˈɾaðo	Elle mah-is moe-rah-doe	Peru
Peruvian Corn	El choclo	ɛl ˈʧoklo	Elle cho-clo	Peru
Quinoa	La quinoa	la kiˈnoa	La key-no-ah	Peru
Stuffing Cucumber	La caigua	la ˈkai̯ɣwa	La kai-gua	Peru
Amaranth	El amaranto	ɛl amaˈɾãnto	Elle ah-mah-ran-toh	Peru
Cucumber of the Forest	El pepino del monte	ɛl peˈpino ðɛl ˈmõnte	Elle pay-pee-no del mon-tay	Argentina
Anean Potatoes	Las papas andinas	las ˈpapas ãnˈdinas	Las pah-pas an-dee-nas	Argentina
Squash	El ayote tierno	ɛl aˈʝote ˈtjɛɾno	Elle ah-yo-tay tee-er-no	Costa Rica
Elephant Ear	El tiquisque	ɛl tiˈkiske	Elle tea-keys-kay	Costa Rica
Zapallo Squash	El zapallo	ɛl saˈpaʝo	Elle za-pah-yo	Costa Rica
Dill	El eneldo	ɛl eˈnɛldo	Elle en-el-doe	Costa Rica
Long coriander	El culantro	ɛl kuˈlãntɾo	El cu-lan-troh	Nicaragua
Aloe Vera	El aloe vera	ɛl aˈloe ˈβɛɾa	Elle ah-lo-eh vay-ra	Nicaragua

Tips for memorizing the vegetables in Spanish

Watch cooking videos in Spanish

Latin American cuisine is indisputably one of the best and most varied in the world, from Peruvian ceviche to Cuban tostones. In fact, the entirety of Mexican cuisine was awarded UNESCO status as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Spain has an incredible gastronomical scene with plenty of fantastic dishes, such as paella and tortilla española. From Valencia to Las Islas Canarias, Spanish food is in a league of its own.

Regardless of the type of diet you follow, you’re sure to find some (but likely many!) Latin American and Spanish dishes that you love. By learning about the different vegetables, you’ll be able to watch cooking and recipe videos from the experts in their native language.

To maximize your exposure to vegetables specifically, we suggest looking for vegan and vegetarian recipes. We recommend the YouTube videos from Kiwilimón, a Latin American cooking channel with plenty of vegan recipes.

Ask for a Spanish menu

Whenever you travel to a Spanish-speaking country, you have to brace yourself to read a lot of Spanish. However, if you visit tourist hotspots like Cancún or Medellín, you almost always have the option to choose from an English or a Spanish menu. Always ask for the Spanish menu if you’re trying to learn Spanish!

It might be hard at first, but your ultimate goal as a Spanish-learner is to be able to navigate Spanish text with ease. The more you expose yourself to native content, the sooner you’ll become proficient in Spanish.

And even if you don’t travel to Spanish-speaking countries often, you probably already have a go-to Mexican restaurant in your area. In many cases, these restaurants will have a Spanish menu, especially if it’s an authentic restaurant. Ask them if they have a Spanish menu you can use and challenge yourself next time you go for a bite to eat!

Create vegetable flavor profile cards

Learning vegetable vocabulary can be more fun than learning other vocabulary for one main reason: you can eat it. That gives you a lot more context for each vocabulary word, as you already know what the vegetable smells like, tastes like, and feels like.

A great way to memorize your favorite vegetables is to create flavor profile cards for them. In a flashcard or a small piece of paper, write down as much contextual information as you can about a vegetable.

What does it taste like? What dishes can you make with it? Does it grow underground? Does it have rough skin? Is it easily available year-round?

Write down as much info as you can, and make sure you translate it into Spanish as well! The more context clues you can write down, the more likely you are to associate the vegetable with its Spanish name.

Frequently asked questions about vegetables in Spanish

What vegetable is Spain known for?

Spanish cuisine is packed with vegetables, from potatoes to onions to bell peppers—but one reigns supreme. Garlic is the one vegetable that you can taste in almost every single dish in Spain. So, if you’re a fan of garlic, Spain should be one of the very next destinations you travel to!

What vegetable is Mexico known for?

Mexico has many distinctive vegetables, namely:

• Corn
• Chillies
• Nopal
• Tomatillos
• Avocado (although technically a fruit)

Make sure to taste some of these unique national vegetables next time you’re in Mexico!

Can I bring vegetables from Mexico?

Fresh vegetables are usually prohibited at land, sea, and air border crossings. Commercially packaged and canned vegetables are usually okay, but you should never attempt to cross the border (any border!) with fresh fruits or vegetables.

Don’t stop at vegetables

Now you know how to say well over a hundred different veggies in Spanish! However, there’s so much more to food and culinary experiences than just veggies. There’s still fruits, meats, drinks, snacks, and so much more food vocab that every foodie must know!

But whether you’re a professional chef or simply want to be an expert diner, you’re doing great by starting with the veggies. In no time, you’ll become an expert on food vocabulary in Spanish, if not an expert chef!

We hope you enjoyed our blog post, and make sure to check out our Spanish blog if you did! We regularly publish free Spanish study resources like this guide, so make sure to bookmark it and come back frequently.

Now, time for you to go nuts with all your new Spanish vegetable vocabulary!