Essential Spanish food terms for every situation

Spanish-speaking countries are known for having some of the most amazing flavors around the world. You’re probably already highly motivated to learn at least some basic Spanish food vocab. 

From being able to buy groceries and order food in Spanish to becoming familiar with local eating habits, you’ll quickly see that getting food words in Spanish down will open up a new (and delicious) world to you. So, let’s feed that appetite and take a look at this comprehensive food glossary!

Young woman enjoying a taco and practicing Spanish food terms

Core Spanish food vocabulary

As an appetizer, we’ll start with essential Spanish food vocab. These are Spanish words you need to know to go shopping, order food at Spanish-speaking restaurants and even talk about dietary restrictions or allergies.

Let’s dive into how to say the most common vegetables, proteins and fruits in Spanish:

Vegetables (verduras / vegetales)

SpanishEnglish
aguacateavocado
alcachofaartichoke
apiocelery
berenjenaeggplant
brĂłcolibroccoli
cebollaonion
cilantrocilantro
champiñónmushroom
col/repollocabbage
elote (Mexico)choclo (Central & South America)maĂ­z (Spain)corn
espĂĄrragosasparagus
espinacasspinach
jitomate (Mexico)tomate (general)tomato
lechugalettuce
papa (Latin America)patata (Spain)potato 
pepinocucumber
pimientopepper
rĂĄbanoradish
zanahoriacarrot

Here are example sentences using these words:

  • Soy alĂ©rgico/a a la cebolla (I’m allergic to onion).
  • Me encanta la lasaña de berenjena (I love eggplant lasagna).
  • En MĂ©xico comen mucho rĂĄbano (They eat a lot of radish in Mexico).
  • No me gustan las espinacas (I don’t like spinach).

Fruits (frutas)

SpanishEnglish
cerezacherry
ciruelaplum
duraznopeach
frambuesaraspberry
fresastrawberry
guayabaguava
higofig
limalime
limĂłnlemon
mangomango
manzanaapple
melĂłnmelon
mora azulblueberry
naranjaorange
perapear
piñapineapple
plĂĄtanobanana
sandĂ­awatermelon
toronjagrapefruit
uvagrape
zarzamorablackberry
  • Adriana hace un pay de manzana delicioso (Adriana makes a delicious apple pie).
  • El jugo de naranja me hace daño (Orange juice doesn’t sit well with me).
  • El vino estĂĄ hecho de uvas (Wine is made of grapes).

Proteins (proteĂ­nas)

SpanishEnglish
atĂșntuna
carnemeat
carne de resbeef
cerdopork
chorizochorizo
corderolamb
jamĂłnham
pavoturkey
pescadofish
pollochicken
salchichasausage
salmĂłnsalmon
tocinobacon
  • No como carne, soy vegetariana/o (I don’t eat meat, I’m a vegetarian).
  • Me gustan los waffles con tocino (I like waffles with bacon).
  • La salchicha alemana es la mejor (German sausage is the best).

Grains (granos), nuts (nueces) and staple foods

SpanishEnglish
aceiteoil
aceitunaolive
almendraalmond
arrozrice
azĂșcarsugar
especiasspices
cacahuate (Mexico)manĂ­ (South America/Caribbean)cacahuete (Spain)peanut
cĂĄtsupketchup
frijolesbeans
garbanzoschickpeas
lentejaslentils
masadough
mayonesamayo
mostazamustard
nuezwalnut
panbread
pastapasta
pimientapepper
piñónpinenut
trigowheat
salsalt
salsa de chilehot sauce
semillasseeds
vinagrevinegar
  • Mi cerveza favorita es la de trigo (Wheat beer is my favorite).
  • Ya no tenemos vinagre (We ran out of vinegar).
  • Le hace falta pimienta a la pasta (The pasta is missing some pepper).
  • La sopa de lentejas es mi favorita (Lentil soup is my favorite).

Dairy (lĂĄcteos)

SpanishEnglish
cremacream
huevoegg
lechemilk
mantequillabutter
quesocheese
suero de lechebuttermilk
yogurtyogurt
  • Desayuno yogurt con fruta (I have fruit with yogurt for breakfast).
  • No me gusta el queso fuerte (I don’t like strong cheese).

Beverages in Spanish

How are we gonna wash down all those small-plate tapas? Let’s order some drinks (bebidas)!

Common drinks (bebidas)

SpanishEnglish
agua mineral (Mexico)agua con gassparkling water
agua naturalstill water
cafécoffee
chocolate calientehot chocolate
jugo (Latin America)zumo (Spain)juice
lechemilk
licuado (Mexico)batido (Spain)smoothie
limonadalemonade
malteadamilkshake
refresco / sodasoda
tétea
té heladoiced tea
  • Para mĂ­ un agua mineral, por favor (Sparkling water for me, please).
  • Siempre ceno un licuado de plĂĄtano (I always have a banana smoothie for dinner).

Alcoholic beverages (bebidas con alcohol)

SpanishEnglish
alcoholalcohol
botellabottle
cervezabeer
cerveza de barrildraft beer
champaña (LatAm)champån (Spain)champagne
cĂłctelcocktail
ginebragin
shot (general)chupito (Spain)shot
sidracider
vinowine
vodkavodka
whiskeywhiskey
  • Me da, por favor, una cerveza de barril (Can I get a draft beer, please?).
  • El alcohol me causa resaca (Alcohol gives me a hangover).
  • La sidra es muy suave (Cider is very smooth).

Pro tip: If you want to work on your Spanish vocabulary, joining classes is a game-changer. At Lingoda, you’ll learn vocab in an immersive manner. You can focus on speaking from day one and practicing real-life conversation skills. Plus, you can set your schedule however works best for you and choose between small group or private Spanish lessons.

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Sweet treats and desserts

We’re approaching the end of our meal. If you fancy something sweet, take a moment to learn these food words in Spanish for sweet treats and desserts:

SpanishEnglish
churroschurros
flanflan
torrijasFrench toast
leche fritafried milk pudding
roscĂłn de reyesKings' day circle bread
arroz con lecherice pudding
tarta de SantiagoSantiago almond-flour cake
  • ÂżTienen churros con chocolate? (Do you have churros with chocolate?).
  • El roscĂłn de reyes se come en enero (Kings’ day bread is eaten in January).

Common sweet ingredients and foods

SpanishEnglish
azĂșcarsugar
canelacinnamon
chocolatechocolate
crema chantillywhipped cream
dulcecandy
frutafruit
galletacookie
gelatinajelly
helado (general)nieve (Mexico)ice cream
hot cakes (Mexico)panquequespancakes
jarabesyrup
mantequilla de cacahuatemantequilla de manĂ­peanut butter
mermeladamarmalade
mielhoney
miel de maplemaple syrup
crema pastelera (LatAm)natilla (Spain)custard
nata cream/whipping cream
pan dulcepastry
pasta de hojaldrepuff pastry
pastelcake
pay de quesocheesecake
tarta (Spain, South America)pay (Mexico)pie
vainillavanilla
  • No puedo comer azĂșcar debido a mi salud (I can’t eat sugar due to my health).
  • El chocolate es mi dulce favorito (Chocolate is my favorite candy).
  • Prefiero la miel de maple a la de abeja (I prefer maple syrup to honey).
  • Se me antoja un sĂĄndwich de crema de cacahuate (I feel like a peanut butter sandwich).

Dishes and meals in Spanish

Let’s take a look now at some staple dishes and meal items in Spanish:

SpanishEnglish
copaglass
ensaladasalad
entradaappetizer 
guarniciĂłnside dish
hamburguesahamburger
pan tostadotoast
platodish / plate
plato fuertemain dish
postredessert
sandwichtorta (Mexico)sandwich
sopasoup
vinagretaaderezovinaigrettedressing
  • Prefiero la ensalada a la hamburguesa (I prefer the salad to the burger).
  • La sopa va antes del plato fuerte (Soup comes before the main dish).
  • A la ensalada le falta aderezo (The salad lacks dressing).

Flavors and cooking terms in Spanish

Learning vocabulary for describing flavors and cooking techniques can come in handy in different situations. Want to show appreciation for a meal? Or go through that great Spanish cookbook you got during your last holiday? We’ve got you.

Describing tastes, textures and flavors 

SpanishEnglish
ĂĄcidosour
agridulcesweet and sour
aguadosoggy
ahumadosmoky
buenogood
calientehot
con hieloiced
cremosocreamy
crujientecrunchy
dulcesweet
frescofresh
frĂ­ocold
grasosogreasy
hĂșmedowet
jugosojuicy
malobad
picantepicosohot
ricodeliciosodelicious
rostizadoroasted
saladosalty
secodry
suavesoft
tibiowarm

This is how you can talk about flavor, temperature and texture:

  • EstĂĄ muy
 picante / rico / salado / dulce (It’s very
 spicy / delicious / salty / sweet).
  • Está
 caliente / frĂ­o (It’s
 hot / cold).
  • Es / EstĂĄ 
 crujiente / suave / seco (It’s
 crunchy / soft / dry).

Essential cooking verbs 

SpanishEnglish
agregaradd
asarroast
ponerput
exprimirsqueeze
rallargrate
amasarknead
rebanarslice
freĂ­rfry
colarstrain
colocarplace
hervirboil
hornearbake
cortarcut
lavarwash
salpimentarseason
descongelardefrost
limpiarclean
marinarmarinate
medirmeasure
mezclarmix
tostartoast
echarpour
pelarpeel
pesarweigh
servirserve
untarspread
enfriarcool
picarchop
voltearflip

Here are a few examples of how you might see these verbs in recipes:

  • Voltea la carne para salpimentar y sĂ­rvela caliente (Flip the meat, season it and serve it hot).
  • Pica la zanahoria y agrĂ©gala a la preparaciĂłn (Chop the carrot and add it to the mixture).
  • Hornea el pay por 45 minutos y sirve cuando aĂșn estĂ© tibio (Bake the pie for 45 minutes and serve it while still swarm).
  • Lava el pollo, colĂłcalo en un recipiente y dĂ©jalo marinar (Wash the chicken, place in a tray and let it marinate).
  • Deja enfriar antes de servir (Let it cool before serving).

Measurements (medidas)

In Spain and Latin American countries, these are the most common measuring units used in cooking:

SpanishEnglish
grados CelsiusCelsius degrees
kilogramokilogram
litroliter
miligramomilligram
mililitromilliliter
onzaounce
pizcapinch
  • Horneamos el pastel a 200Âș por 30 minutos (We bake the cake at 200Âș for 30 minutes).
  • Agregamos una onza de vodka (We add one ounce of vodka).
  • Terminamos con una pizca de sal (We finish off with a pinch of salt).

Understanding Spanish mealtimes and food culture

Let’s check out some Spanish food vocab related to mealtimes and discuss some meal habits in Spain and Latin America:

Common Spanish meals and their names

SpanishEnglishSchedule
desayunobreakfast7:00-9:00
meriendasnacksnack11:00-11:30 and 17:00-18:00
comidaalmuerzolunchlunchtime13:30 - 15:30
cenadinner21:00 - 22:30
tapassnacks13:30-15:00 or 20:30-22:30
  • Para la cena habrĂĄ sopa de tomate (We’ll have tomato soup for dinner).
  • El desayuno es la comida mĂĄs importante del dĂ­a (Breakfast is the most important meal of the day).
  • Hablamos a la hora de la comida (Let’s talk at lunchtime).

Note: As you can see, dinner in Spain is served rather late compared to American dinner time. That’s why there's snack time (merienda) in the afternoon. On the other hand, tapas are usually served with drinks –so they’re more like bar food.

Typical eating habits in Spain and Latin America

A common thread between Latin American countries and Spain is that lunch is the main meal of the day –this is when you’ll get the most substantial dish. Dinner, however, tends to be lighter.

One major difference is the role wine plays in Spanish food culture. It’s common, for instance, to find a bottle of wine at the lunch or dinner table. Having a glass or two is quite normal. In most Latin American countries, though, wine is mostly saved for the weekends. People don’t drink much alcohol during the working week unless there’s a celebration or a get-together with friends.

How mealtimes vary by region

Just like in Spain, many countries in Latin America –like Mexico and Argentina– also have three mealtimes (breakfast, lunch and dinner). However, in Mexico and Colombia, for example, dinner is served earlier, usually between 19:00 and 21:00. In Argentina, it’s typically between 20:00 and 23:00 (sometimes even later!).

A big difference, though, is that in Spain, kitchens are open only during mealtimes –so it’s not possible to have a meal just anytime you want. In Latin America, for its part, restaurants are usually open throughout the day or in the late afternoon.

What are the names of meals in Spanish?

SpanishEnglish
desayunobreakfast
meriendasnacksnack
comidaalmuerzolunchlunchtime
cenadinner
tapassnacks or small plates

What is a typical Spanish food called?

Spain is home to some of the most mouthwatering food in the world (and fruity wine sangría, of course)! Typical dishes include: tortilla de patatas, jamón ibérico, churros, paella, gazpacho, pimientos padrón, pulpo a la gallega, croquetas and patatas bravas.

Feeling confident and hungry

Whether you’re thinking about moving or traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, learning the most common Spanish food terms –from cooking verbs to kitchen essentials– will help you navigate daily life like a pro. You’ll be able to shop (and chop!), order food at a restaurant and confidently express how much you liked your paella without a problem. And if you’re hungry for more vocabulary, join us at Lingoda today! Our fantastic teachers and focus on real-life conversations will give you the perfect boost.

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Alison Maciejewski Cortez

Alison Maciejewski Cortez

Alison Maciejewski Cortez is Chilean-American, born and raised in California. She studied abroad in Spain, has lived in multiple countries, and now calls Mexico home. She believes that learning how to order a beer in a new language reveals a lot about local culture. Alison speaks English, Spanish, and Thai fluently and studies Czech and Turkish. Her tech copywriting business takes her around the world and she is excited to share language tips as part of the Lingoda team. Follow her culinary and cultural experiences on X.