19 Versatile Vegetables That Start With Y: Can You Guess?

Today, I’m going to share with you a full list of fabulous and yummy vegetables that start with Y!

Whether you’re looking for inspiration for a letter-themed feast, help for an upcoming pop quiz or just to explore more nutrient-dense and flavourful foods, this list should do more than suffice.

From the everyday veg to some rare specialties, have a look at these amazing veggies that start with Y!

19 names of vegetables that start with Y

I’ve gathered the best vegetables starting with Y you can add to your meal plan for new flavors and essential nutrients.

Yacon

Known for its sweet, juicy but crisp root, the yacon is a plant native to South America. It can be chopped or grated and had raw in salads, cooked, or even pickled.

The scientific name of yacon is Smallanthus sonchifolius.

Yam

Native to Africa, the Americas and some regions in Asia, the yam is a perennial starchy root vegetable with brown skin that’s categorized as a tuber. Their flesh is usually white and dry and they have a neutral, somewhat sweet taste.

Yams can be boiled, fried, mashed into a mass and even roasted to create a variety of dishes. They are an excellent source of carbohydrates and have the scientific name Dioscorea alata.

Yam bean

More popularly known as Jicama, the yam beam is a root vegetable with brown outer skin and white flesh with a crisp but juicy texture.

It’s amongst the category of edible tubers that can be eaten both raw or cooked

Yam beans have the botanical name Pachyrhizus erosus and are native to South America as well as Mexico.

Yampah

Native to the western region of North America, Yampahs are a species of flowering plant that share a lot of similarities to carrots. They’re found in the wild and are valued for their delicious roots and edible leaves.

Tastewise, yampahs have been described as having a sweet flavor with nutty undertones. Known scientifically as Periderdia, yampahs are usually boiled, steamed, sauteed or even fried to create all kinds of cuisines.

Yardlong bean

Also known as Chinese long bean, snake bean and asparagus bean, these long and slender legumes are crispy and flavorful.

Their pods are actually just about half a yard long, despite their name, and are used in just about the same ways green beans are.

Yardlong beans can be eaten either fresh or cooked and are best when harvested young. Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis is the botanical name for this legume.

Yarrow

Yarrow is a flowering plant and one of the lesser known veggies in the list of vegetables that begin with Y. It has many medicinal properties and is also valued for it’s culinary properties.

Yarrow has the botanical name Achillea millefolium and its leaves as well as flowers can be used in soups and stews.

Yautia

Yautia is a veggie that’s classified as a tuber and is a variety of cocoyam, valued for its root tuber. Its origins can be traced to South America but today, it’s grown in the Caribbean, and some tropical regions in Africa and Asia.

Botanically, Yautia is known as Xanthosoma sagittifolium and can be fried, boiled and cooked in many ways the other varieties of tuberous roots can.

Yellow beets

Also known as golden beets, yellow beets are a milder, sweeter-tasting variety of the regular beetroot. It also doesn’t “bleed” like the purple variety does and has juicy but crunchy flesh.

There are many varieties of yellow beetroots; most are usually roasted and included in all kinds of salads. Yellow beetroots have the scientific name Beta vulgaris.

Did you know that beet greens can also be cooked and eaten? They can work as an alternative to Swiss chard and even replace spinach in some dishes.

Yellow bell pepper

Although botanically classified as fruits, the value of bell peppers lies in their use as culinary veggies. The yellow bell peppers are brightly colored large peppers with mildly sweet and juicy yellow flesh.

They are used raw in salads and cooked in all kinds of dishes.

Yellow eye beans

The yellow eye bean is a heirloom that’s valued for its quality as a baked bean. It’s ivory in color with a yellowish-brown splotch on one of its sides and the scientific name Phaseolus vulgaris. Yellow eye beans have a mild flavor hence, pair well with all kinds of ingredients in savoury dishes.

Yellow onions

One of the most popular varieties of onions in the US, yellow onions are a species of onions with a pale, yellowish or white insides with a somewhat golden brown papery husk.

They have a pungent flavor when raw and are often sauteed before being used for all kinds of savory dishes.

Yellow squash

Yellow squashes are basically immature squashes that aren’t ready for harvest. They’re summer squashes that have tender rinds and have a tender flavor that really lends itself well in cooked dishes.

It can also be eaten raw and is of many varieties all having the scientific name Cucurbita.

Yellow tomato

Yellow tomatoes are varieties of tomatoes that are yellow or gold in color. They range in many shapes from those that resemble golf balls to pears and others that have an oblong shape.

These culinary vegetables (which are actually a type of fruit) have the scientific name Solanum lycopersicum and are usually sweeter than red varieties with a much juicier texture, making them perfect for salads, sauces, and salsas.

Yellow wax beans

Almost identical to their green-colored counterparts, the yellow wax bean is an umbrella term given to a wide range of wax bean varieties that are colored a shade of yellow. They are usually mild in flavor with nutty notes.

Yellow wax beans are cooked in all the ways some other varieties of beans can.

Yokohama velvet bean

The Yokohama velvet bean is an exotic legume that grows annually in the tropical regions of both Africa and Asia.

It is botanically classified as Mucuna pruriens and is often used for medicinal purposes with its powder being described as tasting bitter and sharing a somewhat similar flavor profile to that of coffee beans.

Yuca

More popularly known as cassava, yuca is the root of the plant, originating from South America. Yuca root can be boiled, fried, roasted, or even baked to create all kinds of savory foods.

One of the most popular uses of yuca is its flour, Garri, which is widely consumed in many regions in Africa. The scientific name of the versatile vegetable is Manihot esculenta.

Yucca cactus buds

Rich in carbohydrates and dietary fiber, yucca cactus buds are small in size and green in color with white flesh. They are the immature fruits of the yucca plant which is native to the southwestern regions of the United States.

They have somewhat of a bright and mild flavor with a slightly nutty taste and can be dried and ground to make flour. These buds grow from the plant botanically classified as Hesperoyucca whipplei.

Yu choy sum

A member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, yu choy sum is a leafy green vegetable with a crunchy texture, fresh and green taste similar to baby spinach. It is popular in Chinese cuisine where it’s used in stir fries and as a side dish.

The botanical name of this vegetable is Brassica chinensis var. parachinensis and is also known as the Chinese flowering cabbage.

Yukon Gold potato

Yukon Gold potatoes are a type of potato known for their thin, smooth, and light yellowish-brown skin, as well as their yellow flesh. They can be used in various cooking methods, including boiling, baking, mashing, and frying.

Due to their buttery flavor, Yukon Golds are often enjoyed with minimal additional seasoning. Their scientific name is Solanum tuberosum ‘Yukon Gold’.

Conclusion

From the classic yam to the lesser-known yuzu leaves, these types of vegetables can bring their unique flavor and character to the table.

So, next time you’re feeling a bit adventurous in the kitchen, why not try incorporating some of these delicious Y-starting veggies into your meals?

Speaking of meals, we’ve also got a lineup of foods that begin with R, foods that start with V and if you’re out for more whole foods, check out these fruits that begin with letter O.

If you’d like to explore the letter Y more, you can scroll through this list of fruits that start with Y, as well as my blog post about different types of Y foods.