If you are wondering about foods that start with O, you are at the right page to know real facts. There are a lot of foods that start with o in which some are common while some are quite obscure and new for you. Here, I have compiled a list of traditional cooked foods that start with O.
At the end of this article, you will find delicious continental foods that will definitely excite you. Keep in mind, this comprehensive list of foods also contains fruits, beverages, desserts, and vegetables starting with O letter, so let’s explore.
Foods That Start With O
Here, I am going to mention the list of all the traditional cooked foods that start with o.
Oyster
Oyster is the general name for the families of marine bivalve mollusks and belongs to the Ostreidae family. There are numerous types of oysters however, few are edible.
Oysters are quite popular and common in coastal areas as food. People love to eat them either raw, cooked, baked, boiled, smoked, canned, pickled, or fried. In addition to this, oysters are also common in several traditional beverages or drinks.
Their flavor and taste vary from variety to variety. However, raw oysters have complex flavor and in dishes, it may be salty, buttery, or briny. You can eat them easily by unlocking the shells and enjoy their soft fleshy content.
Oxtail
Oxtail is the culinary name of the tail of the cattle. It is rich in gelatin due to the large content of collagen. Oxtail soup and stews are quite common among people.
Oxtail is the major ingredient of Italian foods, such as cuisines. It is perfect braising meat and thus requires a long time to cook as it is too fatty and bony.
Slow cooking of oxtail meat turns the bony collagen into gelatin, making the stews and soups more flavorful and delectable. So, the oxtail stew cooked with vegetables, herbs, and seasonings is pretty rich in flavor and gives a yummy mouthfeel.
Besides this, oxtongue also includes in the list of foods that start with o.
Oatcake
An oatcake is a flatbread, just like crackers and cookies. However, oatcake sometimes takes the shape of pancake in some versions. The main ingredients of oatcake are oatmeal and plain flour.
The texture of oatcake largely depends on the extent of the grinding of oats. It may be rough or smooth in appearance and are chewy to eat.
Oat Milk
Oat milk is non-dairy or plant-based milk, prepared by the fine grinding of whole oat grains with water. Mostly, oat milk has a creamy mouthfeel with a flavor of oatmeal.
Usually, oat milk is available in different flavors like vanilla, sweetened, unsweetened, and chocolate. Oat milk is pretty common in the vegan diet.
Moreover, lactose intolerant people also prefer to use oat milk in their foods like ice cream, cookies, cakes, yogurt, and coffee creamer. Meanwhile, it is a healthy and nutritional substitute for dairy milk.
Opera Cake
Opera cake is a French version of the cake that contains layers of sponge cake covered with a chocolate glaze.
The main ingredients of opera cake are almond sponge cake, coffee syrup, coffee buttercream, ganache, and chocolate glaze.
Opera cake is too yummy and flavorful to eat since it has all taste punches which one could ever want in a cake, like coffee, cream, almond, and chocolate.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is one of the delicious and tasty breakfasts that is quite easy and quick to prepare. One can prepare it by adding dairy or non-dairy milk.
Moreover, you can also enjoy oatmeal by adding fruits like berries, banana chunks, or chocolate cookies to make it more delicious. However, the addition of nuts also goes great in it.
Oatmeal is available in plain or flavored packages, so you can choose it according to your taste.
Oats
Oat is a cereal grain specie that is widely growing to gain its seeds. Oats are pretty common in our everyday foods either rolled or crushed.
Most commonly, oats are the primary ingredients for making oatcake, oat milk, oat flour, oat cookies, and bread. Moreover, oats are also used in routine smoothies and shakes for a thick texture.
Oats are rich in fibers and carbohydrates, so their consumption is very healthy and nutritious.
Ogi
Ogi is a traditional pudding in Nigeria prepared by the fermentation of cereals like maize, millet, and sorghum. All these kinds of grains are soaked in water for about three days to allow the fermentation.
After fermenting, these are cooked to make a creamy, delicious pudding. In west Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria, ogi is common as a tasty breakfast or dinner. Usually, people love to eat ogi with bread, moin moin, and many other foods.
Oblea
Oblea is a traditional wafer dessert in Spain, Mexico, and Central America. It is a sandwich of two thin wafers with a sweet filling inside.
The filling of Oblea may be jam, cream cheese, fruity chutneys, or cream. Moreover, people make Oblea in homes with a combination of more than one filling.
Oblea goes great with cheese, coconut, raspberry sauce, jam, marmalade, or chocolate.
Ollie
Ollie is a French soup having meat and vegetables as primary ingredients. However, many people love to make changes in the ingredient side of this soup.
For example, it is a tasty practice to add bacon, celery seeds, beans, sausages, and seasonings to ollie. So, the ingredient profile of this food starting with o, greatly depends on its variety and region.
Ogbono Soup
Ogbono soup is a popular culinary dish of Nigeria and is prepared by the ogbono seeds. The primary ingredients are water, ogbono seeds, oil, vegetables, meat, sausages, and seasoning.
The fine powder ogbono seeds provide a thicker texture and dark coloring to the soup. Thus, ogbono soup is a slimy mucilaginous or gummy in texture and flavor.
Obokima
Obokima is a stiff porridge of maize flour and popular in Africa. It is well known food that starts with letter o but also has other names like obusuma, ugali, oshifima, and obuchima.
Commonly, it is made from sorghum flour, cassava flour, or millet. And, its cooking method is also exceptional. People cook it in boiling water or milk until it forms a thick dough-like texture and consistency.
Usually, people eat Obokima with soups of green vegetables. Or sometimes, it is served with side dishes like condiments or chutneys with a protein source like meat or fish.
Octopus
In various cultures, octopus is served as food either cooked, uncooked, grilled, or alive. The entire body of the octopus is edible, and chefs prepare it in numerous delicious ways.
Octopus goes great in savory foods and cuisines, and you can serve it in a variety of creative ways. Most commonly, octopus is served on its own or sometimes with savory sausages.
Read Also: Is Shrimp A Fish?
Oil Down
Oil down is another food that start with o and is common in the west indies. It is a type of stew having meat, coconut milk, spices, sauces, and breadfruit as primary ingredients.
The final dish is quite delicious and flavorful meal that one could imagine ever. However, its taste and final mouthfeel vary in different versions and regions. People love to make it according to their taste choices.
Onion Rings
Onion rings or French-fried onion rings are popular in British and America. They are usually served as an appetizer or side dish. They are also common in American cuisines and soups.
Onion rings are deliciously prepared by dipping them in a batter, paste, or bread crumbs and then fried until they become light brown.
Their slightly sweet taste goes well as is or with savory sauces.
Onion Bhaji
Onion bhaji is a tradition of Indian subcontinents where it is common. Simply, it is a kind of savory fritters or fried spicy onion balls.
The fine slices of onions are dipped in a batter that is prepared usually by gram flour. This batter contains several spices and seasoning that give enough flavor and spice to your taste buds.
People love to eat crispy onion bhaji with either chilli sauce or tomato ketchup. And thus, it goes great as a side dish.
Onion Kulcha
Onion kulcha is a popular food as a breakfast or dinner in North India. It is a kind of savory bread that is a bit similar to “naan”. People love to eat this delightful recipe as it is a part of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies.
Interestingly, people make onion kulcha according to their taste preferences by changing the ingredient profile. Therefore, its taste also varies depending on the kind of essential ingredients.
Usually, the primary ingredients of onion kulcha are plain flour, baking powder, onions, and spices like salt, green or red chilli, and coriander.
Onion kulcha goes delicious with side dishes like curries or sauces. However, you can also eat it as is.
Ostrich Meat
Ostrich meat is quite similar to beef in taste, texture, and appearance. Moreover, it is red meat, just like beef. However, ostrich meat is expensive in contrast to poultry or beef as it is less common, and its production is limited.
Ostrich meat tastes like beef but mild or little bland. Therefore, it gives a fine taste with several spices and seasonings. You can replace beef with ostrich meat, but its cooking time is less. Serve the delicious ostrich meat to make your meal exceptional and yummy.
Oenomel
Oenomel is an ancient beverage that was used as an effective remedy for gout and nervous disorders. It is a Greek beverage that is prepared with unfermented grape juice and honey.
Several other beverages are also common that are prepared by the same method. For example, Mead is a beverage containing yeast, water, and honey.
Hydromel and rhodomel are also traditional beverages containing honey, roses, and water. Their taste is a blend of complex sweetness with slight tart punches that is really refreshing to drink.
Oxymel
Oxymel is another beverage that was the common practice of ancient Greeks. They prepare it with honey, rainwater, sea salt, vinegar, and roses, just like oenomel.
Similarly, another beverage that starts with letter o is omphacomel and prepared by honey and fermented grape juice.
These traditional drinks leave a complex impression of sweet and tart hints on your taste buds.
Offal
Offal is a variety meat or organs meat that people use in several foods to taste something different but nutritious. It is food prepared by the edible organs of animals or birds like lungs, kidneys, spleen, tongue, heart, cheek, and liver.
This organ meat is pretty common in regional culinary dishes or cuisines. Besides this, offal is also a great addition to soups, stews, and curries. However, in some countries, people eat certain specific organs as appetizers or snacks.
Orzo
Orzo is a kind of Italian short-cut pasta that is similar to the large grains of rice. In ancient times, orzo was common as a substitute for rice.
Traditionally, orzo contains white flour or sometimes whole grain. Orzo is a pretty versatile food that you can serve either alone or in soup or salads. Moreover, orzo goes delicious in baked casseroles.
Onigiri
Onigiri or omusubi, or rice ball, is a popular Japanese dish. It is prepared by white rice with a filling of either pickled or salted salmon or any other sour ingredient wrapped in nori. There are various versions of onigiri that vary from each other in taste and filling.
It is quite similar to sushi, but there are some differences in their ingredient profile. For example, sushi is made of white rice with vinegar but onigiri has simple boiled or fried white rice.
Oxford Blue Cheese
Oxford blue is a soft cheese with a creamier consistency. It leaves the aromatic, spicy, and tangy hints on your taste buds. Moreover, its flavor is a mixture of white wine and chocolate.
It is prepared by the unpasteurized milk of cow and matures in 15 to 16 weeks. You can use this blue cheese in stews and soups where you want an extraordinary creamy texture. However, oxford blue cheese also goes great with beef, pork, and meat.
Onion Soup
Onion soup is a French version of soup having onions and meat stock as primary ingredients. It is served hot with large bread pieces loaded with cheese floating on the top of the soup.
The other optional ingredients of onion soup are white wine, crouton, and grated cheese. A hot bowl of onion soup tastes sweet and rich in flavor. All onion recipes like onion stews or dips are the foods that start with o.
Omurice
Omurice is a Japanese dish that contains fried rice, scrambled eggs, and ketchup. However, several ingredients and spices are optional in the preparation of Omurice.
Usually, rice is fried with chicken meat, beef stock, or vegetables with the flavoring of salt, pepper, sauce, and ketchup. After that, fried rice is wrapped in a thin sheet of fried eggs.
Read Also: Why Are Japanese Eggs Orange?
Oikos Greek Yogurt
Oikos Greek yogurt is a creamy final product of the straining process that removes some of the whey from the yogurt. Therefore, its texture is thick with a much tart flavor than other versions of yogurt.
Oikos Greek yogurt is a rich source of protein and contains double as much protein as regular yogurts have. Moreover, it is a good source of calcium and vitamin D. This Greek yogurt is available in various different flavors.
Oxheart
Oxheart is a kind of cherry having large heart-like shape. They are sweet in taste with juicy flesh. There are different variants of oxheart including, Japanese oxheart, orange oxheart, red oxheart, and yellow oxheart.
All these varieties differ from each other in fruit size, color, and final mouthfeel.
Olan
Olan is a popular pumpkin curry dish in South India. Its primary ingredients are white pumpkin, black beans, oil, curry leaves, and coconut milk. However, several spices like green chili, red chilli, and salt give a subtle unique flavor to the overall recipe.
Oyster Soup
Oyster soup is a popular culinary food in the United States. The ingredient profile of oyster soup includes cream, chives, or mushrooms. As oysters are briny or salty in taste, they give the same salty, chewy, and creamy taste to soup.
Oyster soup is usually served as is, and it also goes well with oyster crackers.
Oritang
Oritang is a Korean soup made by simmering duck with various vegetables. However, there are several versions of Oritang that vary in taste and flavor.
Sometimes, Oritang contains chilli pepper powder that gives a spicy flavor and perilla seeds that provide a thick texture.
Ossobuco
Ossobuco is an Italian casserole containing veal shanks, vegetables, and broth. Its various regional variants differ in taste and ingredients.
However, the two ossobuco versions are pretty common in which the modern version has tomatoes while the original dish does not.
The original food ingredients of ossobuco are veal shanks braised with vegetables, cinnamon, bay leaf, broth, and white wine. However, the modern version contains vegetables like celery, onions, carrots, tomatoes, and meat like veal or pork.
Okowa
Okowa is a Japanese version of steamed rice often cooked with vegetables and meat. However, herbs and vessel chestnuts also go great in it. Interestingly, people use okowa to make onigiri as it freezes well.
The elaborated ingredient profile of okowa includes glutinous rice or short grain, sesame oil, meat like fish or mushrooms, and vegetables like carrots, sweet potato, and spring onions. In addition, spices like salt and sauces give them its characteristic flavor.
Osmanthus Cake
Osmanthus cake is a traditional sweet treat of China. It is a deliciously sweet Chinese pastry made with rice flour, sugar, oil, sweet-scented Osmanthus, and honey. It has soft waxy but crystal-clear texture with a refreshing sweet flavor.
Besides Osmanthus cake, osmanthus tea and osmanthus wine are also common foods that start with o. So, enjoy them.
Oshiruko
Oshiruko is a traditional sweet dessert in Japan. It is a soft porridge of azuki beans served with mochi. However, there are different serving styles of Oshiruko in which it is served as dumplings of glutinous rice flour or served with chestnuts instead of mochi.
Some variants of Oshiruko have a thick fine paste of azuki beans, while few varieties have roughly crushed beans. As it is a matter of personal choice, so people Japanese enjoy this sweet dessert according to their preferences.
Oshinko
Oshinko is a fragrant dish that refers as Japanese pickled vegetables. Mostly, Oshinko is made with daikon radishes, however you can make it from any vegetable.
Daikon radishes are white, but when pickled, they turn yellow. Ingredients like vinegar, sugar, salt, and seasonings like pepper and red chilli are added to make daikon radish more flavorful.
The list of foods that start with o is not limited to these foods, but also includes fruits and vegetables.
Fruits That Start With O
Have you ever tried fruits starting with letter O other than orange? You may surprise to know that there is a whole list of fruits having an O letter in the beginning. So, if you are curious to know these fruits, explore the entire list.
Osteen Mango
Osteen mango is native to the United States and Florida. The fruit is of oblong shape, having a round base. Its outer skin is smooth, having yellow or sometimes light purple color.
Its flesh is sweet in taste but low in fibers, so it is suitable to eat with a spoon. In several sweet desserts, they go great to add an extra sweet flavor.
Read Also: Best Substitute For Mango
Opal Apple
Opal apples are round fruit having a size larger than ordinary apples. Their cream-colored flesh is soft yet crunchy and sweet in taste.
Opal apples go well as a fruity topping of desserts or cakes. Moreover, they are also a great addition to fruit salads. Opal apples also give a smooth, thick, and creamy texture to shakes and smoothies.
Oroblanco
Oroblanco is sweet citrus and seed less hybrid of pomelo and grapefruit. It is a fruit of round or oval shape, having a thick outer rind in contrast to grapefruit. Its inner white membranes that separate the juicy flesh segments are usually bitter, but its flesh is sweet and lacks bitterness.
People like to eat Oroblanco like an orange. It is available in the months from September to December.
Oregon Grape
Oregon grapes belong to the Berberidaceae family and are native to Northern California and North America. These are not true grapes, but they get their name from the clusters of purple berries having an appearance like grapes.
Their flavor has much tartness as compared to the grapes and also having large seeds. Therefore, they are mostly common to make Oregon grape juice and wine.
Ogeeche Lime
Ogeeche lime is a fruit native to Florida territories. It is usually available in the months from August to October. Its citrus flavor is quite similar to its cousin lime.
Ogeeche limes go great in several food recipes, drinks, preserves, and other edible items.
In addition to these fruits, many other fruits that start with o like olive, orangelo, olallieberry, and ogallala strawberry.
Vegetables That Start With O
Here I will tell you what are vegetables that start with o instead of onion. So, if you are curious to know them, read further.
Orache
Orache is an edible leafy vegetable or herb that belongs to the genus Atriplex and Goosefoot family. There are numerous cultivars of atriplex genus from which some are edible, including orache.
It is quite similar to spinach in appearance and taste thus widely used as a substitute for spinach. Orache leaves go great in stews, dips, and soups. In addition, you can also add them to salads.
Okra
Okra or lady finger is an edible vegetable that firstly originated in West Africa and South Asia. Its seedy green pods become mucilaginous and slimy when cooked.
It is a part of traditional foods like cuisines, soups, stews, salads, and other savory food dishes. People love to eat it, and it is also a good source of minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins.
Oregano
Native to Mediterranean regions, oregano is an edible as well as a culinary herb of the mint family. It is widely used dried in traditional foods to enhance their flavor and fragrance. Its earthy and slightly bitter taste is a great addition to Italian cuisines.
Usually, it is used as a seasoning with other spices to give an exceptional finish to recipes. Besides this, oregano oil is also popular in some traditional foods.
In addition to these vegetables, ogonori, onion, and oil palm are some other vegetables that start with o.
Final Thought
Our list of foods that start with O is completed here. In this article, you got all the traditional Japanese cuisines to Italian and other regional recipes. I hope this article clears all your queries and definitely enhances your knowledge.
So, grab these continental foods that start with o and try them to change your typical taste and flavor.