Discover 113 Foods That Start With S

© iStock.com/DipaliS

Written by Asia Mayfield

Published: December 6, 2023

Share on:

Advertisement


Quick — name your favorite foods that start with S. Remembering classics like spaghetti and shrimp is easy, but what about lesser-known delights like shaddock or surimi?

Below, you’ll find a complete list of foods that start with S. Perusing it while hungry might inspire you with dozens of meal ideas.

1. Steak

Juicy Beef rump steak from marble beef medium rare with sauce on wooden board, close-up. Selective focus.

Beef steaks are a luxury food.

©Fotoatelie/iStock via Getty Images

Steak is a prime cut of meat that may cost hundreds of dollars per ounce. Beef steaks get all the attention, yet they are far from the only option. You might find a steak cut of many types of meat, including lamb and pork.

Vegetarians can even eat steaks. No-meat cauliflower steaks are thick slices of cauliflower roasted and seasoned for meaty flavor. 

Whether you’re ordering medium-rare meat at a fancy restaurant or grilling up a slab of cauliflower, steak is a showstopper.

2. Shellfish

Cherrystone Clams (Mercenaria mercenaria)

Clams are a type of shellfish.

©eastriverstudio/iStock via Getty Images

When shellfish are on the menu, you’re eating a water animal with a shell, like a clam or sea snail. The salty taste might remind you of the ocean. 

Shellfish is a popular protein in most cuisines, so you’ll see it added to diverse dishes. For instance, you might encounter shrimp pasta, clam soup, or a crab salad.

3. Sausage

Homemade Cajun Boudin Sausage, made of pork meat and liver, rice, onions, and seasonings.

Many cooks make their own sausage at home.

©Fanfo/Shutterstock.com

Breakfast sausage, chorizo, bratwurst — there are many different types of sausages, and they’re all worth trying. You can even make your own sausage if you have a meat grinder.

For authentic sausage, you need ground meat, like beef and pork, and whatever herbs and seasonings you want. A fancier sausage might include bits of fruit as well.

4. Sweet Potatoe

Sweet potatoes are eaten sweet and savory.

©iStock.com/Koval Nadiya

You can recognize sweet potatoes by their orangey flesh and skin. Unlike other potato varieties, sweet potatoes can be flavored with sweet and savory additions. Topping baked sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows is just as tasty as adding bacon and cheese.

Sweet potatoes are especially beloved by health enthusiasts and they’re often found on clean eating menus. The orange tubers may help boost your immune and reduce inflammation.

5. Snap Peas

Sugar snap peas

Snap peas look similar to edamame, another green snack.

©iStock.com/PierceHSmith

Crunchy, sweet snap peas make the perfect snack. There’s no need to shell the peas because the pod is edible. 

Thinking about adding snap peas to your grocery list? Snap peas’ crisp flavors work well in salads and stir-fries, too.

6. Spinach

full frame of tender green baby spinach leaves

You can add spinach to a smoothie to make it healthier.

©iStock.com/tashka2000

Even picky eaters and vegetable haters can fall in love with spinach. Belying its bright green color is a mild taste that’s easily mixed with other flavors. Does your child avoid every vegetable on their plate? Throw some spinach into a smoothie, and they’ll never taste it. 

Adults can add spinach to scrambled eggs for an easy health boost. The leaves and stems are full of potassium and Vitamin D.

7. Sultana

Dried raisins.

In the U.S., sultana usually refers to the raisin rather than the grape variety.

©12521104/iStock via Getty Images

Sultana can refer to the green-skinned grape or the raisins made from the grapes. They’re commonly used in appetizers and salads. Interestingly, however, sultanas aren’t as popular in desserts as their sweet taste would make you believe.

For instance, there are far more strawberry than sultana or grape-themed treats. Sultanas have a more delicate flavor that can be hard to translate. Existing sultana desserts include grape salad and grape clafoutis.

8. Strawberry

Strawberries background. Strawberry. Food background.

Strawberries feature in many dessert recipes.

©MarcoFood/Shutterstock.com

It’s not unusual for someone to say strawberry is their favorite flavor. You could spend the entire week eating strawberry-themed snacks and treats and still have plenty left to try. Think strawberry shortcake, strawberry ice cream, strawberry jam, etc.

If you’re a gardener, planting strawberry bushes gives you a visual treat as well. The plump red berries contrasting with the dark leaves and branches are a picture-worthy sight.

9. Squash 

Fresh organic yellow summer squash in a basket at the farmers market

In the culinary world, squash is a vegetable, although scientists classify it as a fruit.

©Ezume Images/Shutterstock.com

Squash is technically a fruit, but many consider it a vegetable. The flesh is almost flavorless and must be cooked and seasoned to come to life. Squash has the same role that carrots or Brussels sprouts have on the plate. 

If you want to expand your palette, there are many squash varieties to try. Butternut squash, for instance, is often added to hearty fall dishes. Spaghetti squash separates into a low-carb spaghetti substitute when cooked.

10. Sesame Oil

Closeup of sesame seeds on a surface and in an earthen bowl

Sesame oil is made from sesame seeds.

©ELAKSHI CREATIVE BUSINESS/Shutterstock.com

Making fried rice? You might want to purchase some sesame oil first. East Asian cuisine relies on dark brown sesame oil made from toasted sesame seeds. 

That’s not the only way to make the oil, however. Travel to India and the sesame oil will likely be a nice golden color. Cold-pressed sesame oil has a light yellow hue. You’ll get a slightly nutty flavor regardless of the variety you use. That’s why this oil is typically reserved for salty, savory dishes.

11. Sauerkraut

sauerkraut

Sauerkraut’s primary ingredient is fermented cabbage.

©iStock.com/aronaze

When you need a sour complement to your meal, bring out the Sauerkraut. It’s chopped, fermented cabbage with a famously strong taste. 

Sauerkraut is a German and Eastern European specialty, and each country puts its twist on the recipe. Germans actually consider sauerkraut a national dish.

12. Stevia

Stevia collection. Hand plucks stevia in the rays of the bright sun. Stevia rebaudiana on blurred green garden background.Organic natural sweetener.Alternative Low Calorie Sweetener

Stevia is all-natural because it’s derived from stevia plants.

©yul38885/Shutterstock.com

We all know the dangers of sugar. Stevia steps in as a zero-calorie replacement derived from plant leaves. It’s hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar.

However, there is a noticeable aftertaste. Stevia-sweetened desserts might be easier to fit into your diet, but they may not be as satisfying as sugary treats. 

Additionally, stevia may interact with your gut bacteria and trigger gas and bloating.

13. Soup

Crab cream soup

There are many ways to make soup.

©Максим Крысанов/iStock via Getty Images

Nothing’s as comforting as a steaming bowl of soup on a cold winter night. It’s a flexible food with countless recipes and adaptations to experiment with. You can try spicy soup, seafood soup, chicken soup, vegetable soup, etc.

14. Salmon

Alaskan coho salmon for dinner. Sustainably caught Alaskan salmon.

American salmon largely comes from farms.

©Agave Photo Studio/Shutterstock.com

If you order fish at an American restaurant, there’s a good chance it will be salmon. Salmon is prized for its fatty flesh that’s loaded with nutrients. 

Most salmon in the U.S. comes from fish farms. The only sizeable wild populations left in the country are found in a few Maine rivers. 

Additional Foods That Start with S

Meat and Seafood

  1. Salami
  2. Scallops
  3. Squab
  4. Sweetbreads
  5. Steelhead trout
  6. Swordfish
  7. Sea Cucumber
  8. Sailfish
  9. Sturgeon
  10. Surimi
  11. Spareribs
  12. Shark
  13. Sole
  14.  Shrimp
  15.  Sushi
  16. Snapper
  17. Sea bass
  18.  Sashimi
  19. Suckling pig
  20. Squab
  21.  Squid
  22.  Sardines

Vegetables and Legumes

  1. Serrano peppers
  2. String beans
  3. Scallions
  4. Sweet pepper
  5. Shishito peppers
  6. Swiss chard
  7. Savoy cabbage
  8. Seaweed
  9. Sorrel
  10. Snow peas
  11. Sunchokes
  12. Shallots
  13. Salsify
  14. Squash blossoms
  15. Soybeans

Fruit

  1. Snake Fruit
  2. Shiraz Grape
  3. Sweet Grapefruit
  4. Shaddock
  5. Service Berry
  6. Starfruit
  7. Sugar Apple
  8. Sand Pear
  9. Soursop
  10. Sugar baby watermelon
  11. Spaghetti Squash
  12. Surinam Cherry
  13. Sloe Berry

Oils, Herbs, Spices, and Condiments 

  1. Safflower oil
  2. Salad dressing
  3. Salsa
  4. Saffron
  5. Sprouts
  6. Sage
  7. Salt
  8. Sesame seeds
  9. Sun-Dried Tomatoes
  10. Soffrito
  11. Soy sauce
  12. Star anise
  13. Syrup
  14. Sugar
  15. Sunflower seeds

Entrees

  1. Salisbury Steak
  2. Shish kebab
  3. Schnitzel
  4. Shrimp scampi
  5. Shepherd’s pie
  6. Shrimp and grits
  7. Shrimp scampi
  8. Spaghetti 
  9. Stew
  10. Stroganoff
  11. Stromboli
  12. Stir fry
  13. Sub sandwich
  14. sweet and sour chicken

Sides

  1. Samosas
  2. Stuffing
  3. Shrimp cocktail
  4. Soup
  5. Spinach dip

Desserts

  1. S’mores
  2. Sandwich cookies
  3. Sweet potato pie
  4. Sundae
  5. Sheet cake
  6. Shortbread cookies
  7. Shake
  8. Snickerdoodles
  9. Sponge cake
  10. Strawberry shortcake
  11. Streusel
  12. Sugar cookies
  13. Symphony cake
  14. Scone
  15. Swiss roll

Summary of Foods That Start with S

#Food
1Steak
2Shellfish
3Sausage
4Sweet Potatoe
5Snap Peas
6Spinach
7Sultana
8Strawberry
9Squash
10Sesame Oil
11Sauerkraut
12Stevia
13Soup
14Salmon


Share this post on:
About the Author

Asia Mayfield is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering cats and dogs. Asia regularly volunteers at the local animal shelter. As a resident of Nevada, Asia enjoys hiking, reading, and playing with her cats.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.