✔ Updated · 78 four-letter foods, up from 48, every one checked and pictured
Need a food with four letters for a crossword, a word game or a classroom theme? Here are 78 of them, every one counted twice, from kiwi and kale to taco and flan.
Common 4-letter foods include kiwi, lime, pear, plum, date, acai and yuzu (fruits); kale, leek, okra, corn, beet and taro (vegetables); beef, pork, lamb, duck, tuna and crab (meat and seafood); rice, oats, naan, tofu, udon and orzo (staples); and taco, stew, soup, flan, cake and tart (dishes and desserts).
- 4-letter fruits: kiwi, lime, pear, plum, date, acai, yuzu, sloe, ugli, akee, kaki, lulo, noni, bael.
- 4-letter vegetables: kale, leek, okra, corn, beet, taro, peas, kelp, nori.
- Crossword tip: check whether the clue wants a singular (pear) or a plural (oats, peas, eggs).
Fruits With 4 Letters
The fruit list is the one most people come here for, so I made it as complete as I honestly can. Ugli is a trademarked name, but it is the name everyone uses for that fruit.
1. Kiwi
Fuzzy brown skin, bright green flesh and tiny black seeds. Tart and sweet; I eat the skin too, it is fine.
2. Lime
Small green citrus with sharp, fragrant juice. Essential for guacamole, margaritas, Thai food and key lime pie.
3. Pear
Juicy, sweet and buttery when ripe. Press gently near the stem; when it gives a little, it is ready.
Get the recipe →
4. Plum
A juicy stone fruit with purple, red or yellow skin and sweet-tart flesh. Dried, it becomes a prune.
5. Date
Sticky, caramel-sweet fruit of the date palm. Medjool dates are the big soft ones I stuff with nut butter.
6. Acai
A small dark purple berry from the Amazon, usually sold as frozen pulp for smoothie bowls. Earthy, not very sweet.
7. Yuzu
A knobbly, intensely fragrant Japanese citrus. The zest and juice go into ponzu, desserts and drinks.
8. Sloe
Tiny blue-black wild plums from the blackthorn bush. Far too sour to eat raw; they are used for jams and syrups.
9. Ugli Fruit
A wrinkly, baggy-skinned Jamaican citrus, a cross of grapefruit and orange. Sweeter than grapefruit and very juicy.
10. Akee (Ackee)
Jamaica's national fruit, cooked with saltfish. Only eat it properly ripe and opened on the tree, as unripe akee is toxic.
11. Kaki (Persimmon)
The Japanese name for persimmon. Fuyu kaki are crisp like apples; Hachiya must be jelly-soft before eating.
12. Lulo
A fuzzy orange fruit from Colombia and Ecuador with green, tangy flesh. It makes the best juice, lulada.
13. Noni
A lumpy, pale green-white Pacific fruit with a famously strong smell. Mostly sold as juice.
14. Bael
A hard-shelled Indian fruit with fragrant orange pulp, scooped out for a cooling summer drink called bael sharbat.
Vegetables With 4 Letters
Lots of good, everyday vegetables in this group. Kale, leek and corn are the ones I buy every single week.
15. Kale
Sturdy leafy greens with curly or flat dark leaves. Massage raw kale with lemon and salt and it softens nicely.
16. Leek
A mild, sweet member of the onion family. Wash well between the layers; grit hides in there.
Get the recipe →
17. Okra
Green pods that turn silky when stewed and crisp when fried or roasted. Key to gumbo.
18. Corn
Sweet summer corn, grilled, boiled or buttered on the cob. My copycat KFC corn is a family favorite.
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19. Beet
Earthy, sweet root vegetable in deep red or golden yellow. Roast them whole in foil and the skins slip right off.
20. Taro
A starchy tropical root with a nutty flavor and lilac flecks. Always cook it; raw taro irritates the mouth.
21. Peas
Sweet little green pods and peas. Frozen peas are picked at their peak and are honestly great.
22. Kelp
A large brown seaweed. Dried kombu kelp is the base of Japanese dashi broth.
23. Nori
Thin, crisp sheets of dried seaweed used to wrap sushi and onigiri. Toast briefly for extra crunch.
Meat and Seafood With 4 Letters
Proteins are well covered by four letters. Food safety reminder from me: pork and fish to 145°F, ground beef to 160°F and duck or chicken to 165°F.
24. Beef
Meat from cattle: steaks, roasts, ground beef and stew meat. My beef stroganoff, inspired by Ina Garten, is a cozy favorite.
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25. Pork
Meat from pigs, from chops to belly and shoulder. Slow-cooked shoulder makes crispy carnitas.
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26. Lamb
Meat from young sheep with a rich, slightly grassy flavor. Great with garlic, rosemary and mint.
27. Veal
Mild, tender meat from young calves, used for schnitzel, osso buco and saltimbocca.
28. Duck
Rich, dark poultry with a thick layer of fat. Score the skin and render it slowly for crisp results.
29. Goat
The most widely eaten red meat in the world. Lean and flavorful, perfect for slow curries and stews.
30. Tuna
A meaty fish eaten fresh as seared steaks or sushi, or canned for sandwiches and my tuna pesto pasta.
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31. Crab
Sweet, delicate shellfish, from blue crab to king crab legs. I love it in crispy crab cakes.
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32. Clam
Briny shellfish for chowder, pasta and steaming. Toss any that stay closed after cooking.
33. Sole
A delicate flatfish with thin, mild fillets. Classic as sole meunière in brown butter and lemon.
34. Hake
A flaky, mild white fish from the cod family, hugely popular in Spain. Great battered or baked.
35. Carp
A freshwater fish eaten across Europe and Asia, the centerpiece of many Christmas Eve dinners in Central Europe.
Grains, Breads and Staples With 4 Letters
The pantry staples. Rice and oats alone could feed you all week.
36. Rice
The staple grain for over half the world, from long-grain and jasmine to sushi and arborio rice.
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37. Oats
Rolled, steel-cut or instant oats for porridge, granola and baking. Overnight oats are my lazy breakfast.
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38. Naan
Soft, puffy Indian flatbread blistered in a tandoor or a hot pan. The Peshwari version is stuffed with coconut and nuts.
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39. Roti
Thin whole wheat flatbread from India and the Caribbean, cooked on a dry griddle until it puffs.
40. Pita
Round Middle Eastern flatbread that puffs into a pocket as it bakes. Stuff it or tear and dip.
41. Soba
Japanese buckwheat noodles, nutty and grey-brown, served cold with dipping sauce or hot in broth.
42. Udon
Thick, chewy Japanese wheat noodles, great in broth or stir-fried. My yaki udon is a 20-minute dinner.
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43. Orzo
Rice-shaped pasta that cooks fast and loves lemon, feta and herbs. Great in soups and salads.
44. Fufu
A smooth, stretchy West African dough of pounded cassava, plantain or yam, eaten by hand with soups.
Get the recipe →Dairy, Eggs and Protein With 4 Letters
Cheese gets a lot of four-letter names. Brie and feta are the two I always have in my fridge.
45. Milk
The base of milkshakes, custards, sauces and bakes, from cow, goat, oat or almond. Milkshakes are my weakness.
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46. Eggs
Breakfast hero and baking essential. Hard-boiled, they make the best deviled eggs for parties.
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47. Feta
Salty, crumbly Greek brined cheese made with sheep's milk. Bake a whole block with tomatoes for the TikTok pasta.
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48. Brie
Soft, creamy French cheese with an edible white rind. Bake it with honey and nuts for an easy appetizer.
49. Edam
A mild, nutty Dutch cheese, famous for its red wax coat. Good for snacking and melting.
50. Tofu
Pressed soybean curd, from silken to extra firm. Press firm tofu for 20 minutes for the crispiest results.
51. Ghee
Clarified butter cooked until nutty and golden. High smoke point, and essential in Indian cooking.
Dishes With 4 Letters
Whole meals in four letters. A taco, a bowl of stew or a plate of dosa: this is my favorite section.
52. Taco
A folded tortilla with fillings, from street tacos to crispy fast-food style. My Jack in the Box copycat is a guilty pleasure.
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53. Stew
Meat and vegetables simmered slowly in broth until tender. Classic beef stew is pure comfort.
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54. Soup
Anything from clear broth to thick chowder. Creamy potato soup is the one I make most in winter.
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55. Pâté
A smooth, rich spread of liver or meat with butter and aromatics. Lovely on toast with pickles.
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56. Dahl
Indian spiced lentil stew, also spelled dal. Finish with a tadka of spices sizzled in ghee.
57. Dosa
A thin, crispy South Indian crepe made from fermented rice and lentil batter, often stuffed with spiced potatoes.
58. Idli
Soft, fluffy steamed rice cakes from South India, served with sambar and chutney for breakfast.
59. Poke
Hawaiian raw fish salad of cubed tuna or salmon with soy, sesame and onion. Use sushi-grade fish.
60. Gyro
Greek pita wrap of meat shaved from a vertical rotisserie, with tomato, onion, fries and tzatziki.
61. Ragu
A slow-cooked Italian meat sauce, like ragù alla bolognese, served over wide pasta or in lasagna.
Sweets and Desserts With 4 Letters
Short words, sweet endings. Cake and tart are the obvious ones, but baba and rusk come up in crosswords all the time.
62. Cake
From sponge to chocolate layer cake. My Cracker Barrel-inspired Coca-Cola cake is fudgy and very easy.
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63. Tart
A shallow pastry shell with a sweet or savory filling. Fruit tarts with custard are my bakery weakness.
64. Flan
Silky baked caramel custard, turned out so the amber caramel sauce pours over the top.
65. Baba
A light yeast cake soaked in rum syrup, often filled with cream. Rum baba is a crossword favorite. Contains alcohol, adults only.
66. Rusk
Twice-baked bread or biscuit, dry and crunchy, made for dunking in tea or coffee.
67. Sago
Little starch pearls from the sago palm, cooked into puddings and sweet coconut desserts.
Herbs, Spices and Seasonings With 4 Letters
The flavor shelf. Fresh dill and sage are the two herbs I would never give up.
68. Dill
Feathery, grassy herb for pickles, salmon, potato salad and tzatziki. Add it at the end; heat dulls it.
69. Sage
Soft, velvety, earthy herb for stuffing, pork and brown butter pasta. Fried sage leaves are irresistible.
70. Mint
Cool, fresh herb for tea, mojitos, salads and lamb. It spreads like crazy in the garden, so give it a pot.
71. Salt
The most important seasoning in any kitchen. I keep kosher salt for cooking and flaky salt for finishing.
72. Miso
Fermented soybean paste, salty and deeply savory. White miso is mild; red miso is bolder.
73. Mayo
Creamy emulsion of egg yolk, oil and lemon or vinegar. Homemade mayo takes 2 minutes with a stick blender.
Drinks With 4 Letters
Something to sip. I kept this list alcohol-free.
74. Chai
Spiced milky black tea with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. My chai latte is the Starbucks-inspired version.
Get the recipe →
75. Cola
Sweet, fizzy soda flavored with vanilla, citrus and spice. It also makes a great glaze for ham.
76. Soda
Any fizzy soft drink, or plain soda water. Homemade fruit sodas with syrup and sparkling water are fun.
77. Mate
Yerba mate, the grassy, caffeinated South American tea sipped from a gourd through a metal straw.
78. Boba
Chewy tapioca pearls in milk tea, also the nickname for bubble tea itself. Brown sugar boba is my pick.
4-Letter Foods by First Letter
Playing a word game? Here is the whole list sorted alphabetically.
- A: Acai, Akee (Ackee)
- B: Baba, Bael, Beef, Beet, Boba, Brie
- C: Cake, Carp, Chai, Clam, Cola, Corn, Crab
- D: Dahl, Date, Dill, Dosa, Duck
- E: Edam, Eggs
- F: Feta, Flan, Fufu
- G: Ghee, Goat, Gyro
- H: Hake
- I: Idli
- K: Kaki (Persimmon), Kale, Kelp, Kiwi
- L: Lamb, Leek, Lime, Lulo
- M: Mate, Mayo, Milk, Mint, Miso
- N: Naan, Noni, Nori
- O: Oats, Okra, Orzo
- P: Pear, Peas, Pita, Plum, Poke, Pork, Pâté
- R: Ragu, Rice, Roti, Rusk
- S: Sage, Sago, Salt, Sloe, Soba, Soda, Sole, Soup, Stew
- T: Taco, Taro, Tart, Tofu, Tuna
- U: Udon, Ugli Fruit
- V: Veal
- Y: Yuzu
More Food Word Lists
Need a different length? Try my lists of foods with 3 letters, foods with 5 letters and foods with 7 letters. Looking for a starting letter instead? Start with foods that start with K or foods that start with P.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 4 letter fruit?
Kiwi, lime, pear, plum and date are the most common 4-letter fruits. Less common ones include acai, yuzu, sloe, ugli, akee, kaki (persimmon), lulo, noni and bael. For crosswords, pear, plum, lime and date come up the most.
What is a 4 letter food name?
Popular 4-letter foods include rice, beef, pork, kale, corn, tofu, taco, soup, stew, cake and flan. Fruits like kiwi, pear and plum count too, as do cheeses like brie, feta and edam and noodles like udon and soba.
What vegetables have 4 letters?
Kale, leek, okra, corn, beet, taro, peas, kelp and nori all have four letters. Peas and oats are handy plural answers, and kale and leek are two of the most common in recipes.
What desserts have 4 letters?
Cake, tart, flan, baba and sago are 4-letter desserts. Rusk is a dry biscuit often eaten with tea, and fudge, mochi and torte are close but have five letters.
Is pear or plum a 4 letter fruit?
Yes, both pear and plum have exactly four letters, and so do kiwi, lime and date. Apple, grape, mango and lemon have five letters, so they do not count.
