Ever played that game where you have to name a food for every letter of the alphabet? Most people hit the letter E and immediately stall out after "eggs." It’s a weird mental block. We eat things starting with E all the time, but for some reason, the brain just refuses to categorize them properly when put on the spot.
Foods starting with E actually make up a massive chunk of our global diet. I'm talking about everything from the staple proteins that fuel your morning to the weird, fermented delicacies found in specific pockets of Japan or the Mediterranean. If you're bored with your current meal rotation, leaning into this specific vowel might actually save your dinner plans.
The Heavy Hitters: Eggs and Eggplant
Let’s be real. Eggs are the MVP here.
Technically, an egg is just a vessel, but in the culinary world, it’s magic. You’ve got chicken eggs, sure, but the world of foods starting with E expands rapidly when you look at duck eggs, which have a much higher fat content in the yolk, or tiny, speckled quail eggs that look like something out of a fairy tale. According to the American Egg Board, a large egg contains about 6 grams of high-quality protein. It’s the gold standard.
Then there’s the eggplant. Or "aubergine" if you’re feeling British or fancy.
Eggplant is polarizing. People either love the silky, smoky texture of a well-roasted Baba Ganoush or they hate the "sponginess" of a poorly cooked slice. The trick? Salt it. If you’re dealing with a larger, older globe eggplant, sweating out the moisture with salt for 20 minutes before cooking removes that bitter edge. Fun fact: eggplant is technically a berry. Botanically speaking, it’s related to tobacco and tomatoes. Don't smoke it, though. Just grill it with some miso paste or layer it into a heavy Parmigiana.
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The Global Pantry: Edamame and Escargot
If you’ve stepped foot in a sushi spot in the last decade, you’ve eaten edamame. These are just young soybeans harvested before they harden. They’re packed with fiber and protein. Seriously, a cup of cooked edamame has about 18 grams of protein. That’s insane for a snack you just pop out of a pod while waiting for your spicy tuna roll.
Now, let's talk about the one that makes people squeamish: Escargot.
Snails. Land snails, specifically. Usually Helix pomatia.
If you’re in France, you’ll find them drenched in garlic, parsley, and butter. Honestly, the snail is mostly a vehicle for the butter. The texture is similar to a clam or a mushroom—kind of chewy, earthy, and totally misunderstood. If you can get past the "ick" factor, they’re a low-fat, high-mineral delicacy that has been a staple since the Roman Empire.
Cheese, Grains, and the Stuff You Forgot
Have you ever had Emmental?
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It’s the quintessential "Swiss cheese" with the big holes (called "eyes" by the pros). Those holes are caused by Propionibacterium freudenreichii (try saying that three times fast), which releases carbon dioxide during the fermentation process. It’s nutty. It’s sweet. It melts like a dream. If you’re making a fondue and you don’t include Emmental, you’re basically just making hot cheese dip.
Then we have Einkorn.
This is the "OG" wheat. It’s a diploid wheat, meaning it only has two sets of chromosomes. Most modern wheat has been hybridized into oblivion, but einkorn is an ancient grain that hasn't changed much in 10,000 years. People with mild gluten sensitivities sometimes find they can digest einkorn better than modern flour, though it’s definitely not gluten-free. It has a deeper, almost toasted nut flavor that makes modern white bread taste like cardboard.
- Eclair: That long, hollow pastry filled with cream and topped with chocolate. Invented by Marie-Antoine Carême, the "chef of kings."
- Endive: A bitter leaf that’s perfect for scooping up goat cheese or adding crunch to a salad. It's grown in the dark to keep it white and tender.
- Elderberry: Don't eat them raw. They’ll make you sick. But once they’re cooked down into a syrup or jam? They’re an antioxidant powerhouse.
- Enchiladas: Corn tortillas rolled around a filling and covered in a savory sauce. The word literally means "to season with chili."
The "E" Foods That Sound Like Something Else
Eels. Specifically Unagi (freshwater) or Anago (saltwater). In Japanese cuisine, unagi is grilled with a sweet soy glaze and served over rice. It’s rich, oily, and incredibly high in Vitamin A. It’s also a conservation nightmare, so if you’re eating eel, make sure it’s sourced responsibly. The populations of European and American eels have plummeted over the last fifty years.
And then there's Etrog.
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Unless you’re Jewish and celebrating Sukkot, you’ve probably never seen one. It looks like a giant, bumpy lemon. It’s a citron. You don't really eat it like an orange; the pith is super thick and the fruit is dry. But the zest? It’s incredibly fragrant. People turn it into marmalade or infuse it into liqueurs.
Why Variety Actually Matters
Look, we all get stuck in a rut. We buy the same five vegetables and the same two types of meat every week because it’s easy. But exploring foods starting with E—or any specific theme—actually forces you to engage with biodiversity.
Trying something like Escarole (a hearty green that’s amazing in white bean soup) instead of just buying more spinach actually helps support different types of farming. It changes your gut microbiome. It makes you a better cook because you have to learn how to handle different textures and flavor profiles.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Meal
If you want to actually use this information instead of just winning a trivia night, here is what you do:
- Swap your snack: Ditch the chips and buy a bag of frozen edamame. Steam them for 5 minutes, hit them with flaky sea salt and a little chili crunch. It's way more satisfying and keeps you full longer.
- Upgrade your grains: Look for einkorn or farro (okay, that’s an F, but close enough) in the bulk section. Use einkorn flour for your next batch of pancakes. The flavor is noticeably more complex.
- The "E" Salad: Make a salad using sliced endive, escarole, and pieces of Emmental cheese. Toss it with a lemon-mustard vinaigrette. The bitterness of the greens cuts through the fat of the cheese perfectly.
- Eggplant mastery: Next time you cook eggplant, don't just fry it. Slice it thin, salt it, pat it dry, and then roast it at 400°F until it's almost collapsing. That’s when the sugars caramelize and it stops being a "vegetable" and starts being a delicacy.
Eating shouldn't be a chore. Sometimes, just focusing on a single letter of the alphabet is enough to break the monotony of the "what's for dinner" struggle. Start with the eggs, but don't stop until you've tried the einkorn.