How to Say 134 Tasty Vegetables in Spanish (From Turnips to Taro)

Why Learn Vegetables in Spanish?

You’ll understand Spanish menus with confidence Ordering substitutions at restaurants becomes easier Cooking Spanish and Latin American recipes makes more sense Shopping at local markets abroad is less intimidating You’ll discover vegetables unique to Latin America In this guide, you’ll find 134 vegetables in Spanish, neatly organized by category, plus practical tips to help you memorize them quickly. Fair warning: this article might make you hungry. Let’s begin. How to Say “Vegetables” in Spanish The word vegetables in Spanish is vegetales. Pronunciation: veh - hay - TAH - les Now let’s explore the many kinds of vegetables - grouped to make learning easier.

Root Vegetables in Spanish

Root vegetables grow underground and are prized for their flavor and versatility.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Beet	El betabel	ɛl bɛtaˈβɛl	Elle bay-tah-belle
Carrot	La zanahoria	la sanaˈoɾja	La za-nah-oh-re-ah
Celeriac	El apio nabo	ɛl ˈapjo ˈnaβo	Elle ah-pee-oh nah-bow
Daikon	El daikon	ɛl ˈdai̯kõn	Elle dai-kon
Parsley Root	La raíz de perejil	la raˈis̬ ðe pɛɾeˈxil	La rah-ease day pay-ray-heel
Parsnip	La chirivía	la ʧiɾiˈβia	La chee-re-vee-ah
Radish	El rábano	ɛl ˈraβano	Elle ra-bah-no
Salsify root	La raíz de salsifí	la raˈis̬ ðe salsiˈfi	La rah-ease day sal-see-fee
Swede	La naba	la ˈnaβa	La nah-bah
Turnip	El nabo	ɛl ˈnaβo	Elle nah-boh
Horseradish	El rábano picante	ɛl ˈraβano piˈkãnte	Elle rah-bah-no pee-kahn-tay
Yucca	La yuca	la ˈɟʝuka	La you-kah
Fennel	El hinojo	ɛl iˈnoxo	El e-no-ho
Ginger	El jengibre	ɛl xɛ̃nˈxiβɾe	El hen-he-bray
Water Chestnut	La castaña de agua	la kasˈtaɲa ðe ˈaɣwa	La kas-tah-nya day ah-goo-ah

Tuber Vegetables in Spanish

Tubers are edible parts of plants that grow underground, often storing nutrients.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Cassava	La tapioca	la taˈpjoka	La tah-pee-oh-cah
Jerusalem artichoke	La alcachofa de Jerusalén	la alkaˈʧofa ðe xɛɾusaˈlɛ̃n	La al-kah-cho-fa day hay-roo-sah-len
Potato	La papa	la ˈpapa	La pah-pah
Taro	El taro	ɛl ˈtaɾo	Elle tah-roh
Yam	El ñame	ɛl ˈɲame	Elle nya-meh
Sweet Potato	El camote	ɛl kaˈmote	Elle kah-mo-tay

Bulb Vegetables in Spanish

Bulb vegetables are foundational in cooking and flavor - building.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Fennel Bulb	El bulbo de hinojo	ɛl ˈbulβo ðe i̯ˈnoxo	Elle bull-boh day e-no-ho
Garlic	El ajo	ɛl ˈaxo	Elle ah-ho
Leek	El porro	ɛl ˈporo	Elle poh-roh
Onion	La cebolla	la seˈβoʝa	La say-boh-ya
Shallot	El chalote	ɛl ʧaˈlote	Elle cha-low-tay
Chives	El cebollino	ɛl seβoˈʝino	Elle say-boh-ye-no
Red Onion	La cebolla morada	la seˈβoʝa moˈɾaða	La say-boh-ya moh-rah-dah
Scallions	El cebollín	ɛl seβoˈʝĩn	Elle say-boh-yeen

Stems and Shoots in Spanish

These vegetables grow upward and can often regrow after harvesting.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Asparagus	El espárrago	ɛl ɛsˈparaɣo	Elle es-pah-rah-go
White Asparagus	El espárrago blanco	ɛl ɛsˈparaɣo ˈβlãnko	Elle es-pah-rah-go blahn-co
Bamboo Shoots	Los brotes de bambú	los ˈbɾotes̬ ðe βãmˈbu	Los bro-tess day bam-boo
Celery Stalks	El apio	ɛl ˈapjo	Elle ah-pee-oh
Kohlrabi	El col rábano	ɛl ˈkol ˈraβano	Elle col rah-bah-no
Rhubarb	El ruibarbo	ɛl rwiˈβaɾβo	Elle roo-e-bar-bo
Hearts of Palm	Los palmitos	los palˈmitos	Los pal-me-tos
Lemongrass	El zacate limón	ɛl saˈkate liˈmõn	Elle za-kah-tay lee-mon

Flower Vegetables in Spanish

Flowers can be very romantic and a great way to show someone that you love and appreciate them. Flower vegetables, unfortunately, do not carry the same romantic connotations as flowers do. How romantic would it be to receive a bouquet of cauliflowers? Perhaps a foodie would appreciate the gesture (I know I would!), but you’re better off sticking to flowers for romance and flower vegetables for meal prep. But - if you’re looking for romantic ways to express love in Spanish, we’ve got another blog post for you. For now, let’s get into how to say these flowery vegetables.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Artichoke	La alcachofa	la alkaˈʧofa	La al-kah-cho-fa
Broccoli	El brócoli	ɛl ˈbɾokoli	Elle bro-koh-lee
Broccolini	El broccolini	ɛl ˈbɾokolini	Elle bro-koh-lee-knee
Cauliflower	El coliflor	ɛl koliˈfloɾ	Elle koh-lee-flor
Zucchini	La calabacita	la kalaβaˈsita	La kah-la-bah-see-tah
Pumpkin flower	La flor de calabaza	la ˈfloɾ ðe kalaˈβasa	La flor day kah-lah-ba-za

Mushrooms and Fungi in Spanish

Fungi are some of the most interesting organisms on Earth. Although they’re not technically classified as vegetables (or plants, even!), mushrooms and different kinds of edible fungi are treated just like other vegetables in everyday life. Here’s a table with some of the most common fungi and mushrooms in Spanish.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Corn Smut	El huitlacoche	ɛl wit̚laˈkoʧe	Elle wee-tlah-koh-chay
Button mushroom	El champiñón	ɛl ʧãmpiˈɲõn	Elle cham-pee-nyon
Enoki mushroom	El champiñón enoki	ɛl ʧãmpiˈɲon eˈnoki	Elle cham-pee-nyon eh-no-key
Oyster mushroom	El champiñón ostra	ɛl ʧãmpiˈɲon ˈostɾa	Elle cham-pee-nyon os-trah
Portobello mushroom	El champiñón portobello	ɛl ʧãmpiˈɲõm poɾtoˈβeʝo	Elle cham-pee-nyon pore-toh-bell-oh
Shiitake mushroom	La seta china	la ˈsɛta ˈʧina	La say-tah chee-nah
White ear mushroom	El hongo blanco	ɛl ˈõnɡo ˈβlãnko	Elle on-go blahn-koh
Truffles	Las trufas	las ˈtɾufas	Las true-fahs

Leaves in Spanish

Edible leaves are excellent sources of vitamins and nutrients. Whether you make a salad, a smoothie, or a stew with them, you know you’re nourishing your body when you cook something with leafy greens. Here are some of our favorite leaves for cooking in Spanish.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Bok Choy	El bok choy	ɛl ˈbok ˈʧoi̯	Elle bok choy
Brussels Sprouts	Las coles de Bruselas	las ˈkoles̬ ðe βɾuˈselas	Las koh-less day broo-seh-las
Cabbage	El repollo	ɛl reˈpoʝo	Elle ray-po-yo
Kale	La col rizada	la ˈkol riˈsaða	La kol re-zah-dah
Lettuce	La lechuga	la leˈʧuɣa	La lay-choo-ga
Radicchio	El radicchio	ɛl raˈðikʧjo	Elle rah-dee-key-oh
Chard	La acelga	la aˈsɛlɣa	La ah-sell-ga
Spinach	La espinaca	la ɛspiˈnaka	La ess-pee-nah-kah
Arugula	La arúgula	la aˈɾuɣula	La ah-roo-goo-la
Coriander	El cilantro	ɛl siˈlãntɾo	Elle see-lan-troh
Parsley	El perejil	ɛl pɛɾeˈxil	Elle pay-ray-heel
Watercress	El berro	ɛl ˈbɛro	Elle beh-ro
Collard greens	La berza	la ˈbɛɾsa	La bear-zah
Dandelion	Los dientes de león	los ˈdjɛ̃ntes̬ ðe leˈõn	Los dee-en-tess day lee-on
Iceberg lettuce	La lechuga iceberg	la leˈʧuɣa i̯seˈβɛɾɣ	La lay-choo-ga iceberg
Romaine lettuce	La lechuga romana	la leˈʧuɣa roˈmana	La lay-choo-ga roh-mah-nah
Endive	La endibia	la ɛ̃nˈdiβja	La en-dee-bee-ah
Mustard greens	La mostaza de la India	la mosˈtasa ðe la ˈĩndja	La moss-tah-zah day lah in-dee-ah

“Fruit” Vegetables in Spanish

You’ve probably heard of the heated debate on whether tomatoes are fruits or vegetables. Although treated as a vegetable, a tomato is officially a fruit. The same is true for many other impostor vegetables that we love and consume just like any other vegetable. Here are some of the most popular ones.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Chili	El chile	ɛl ˈʧile	Elle chee-lay
Cucumber	El pepino	ɛl peˈpino	Elle pay-pee-no
Eggplant	La berenjena	la bɛɾɛ̃nˈxena	La bay-ren-heh-nah
Okra	La ocra	la ˈokɾa	La oh-kra
Plantain	El plátano macho	ɛl ˈplatano ˈmaʧo	Elle plah-tah-no mah-cho
Avocado	El aguacate	ɛl aɣwaˈkate	Elle ah-goo-ah-kah-tay
Pumpkin	La calabaza	la kalaˈβasa	La kah-lah-bah-zah
Spaghetti Squash	La calabaza espagueti	la kalaˈβasa ɛspaˈɣɛti	La kah-lah-bah-zah ess-pah-geh-tee
Tomatillo	El tomatillo	ɛl tomaˈtiʝo	Elle toh-mah-tee-yo
Tomato	El tomate	ɛl toˈmate	Elle toh-mah-teh
Chayote	El chayote	ɛl ʧaˈʝote	Elle chah-yo-teh
Bitter Melon	El melón amargo	ɛl meˈlon aˈmaɾɣo	Elle may-lon ah-mar-go
Jackfruit	La yaca	la ˈɟʝaka	La yah-kah
Vanilla	La vainilla	la bai̯ˈniʝa	La vah-e-knee-ya
Winter Melon	La calabaza china	la kalaˈβasa ˈʧina	La kah-lah-bah-zah chee-nah
Bell Pepper	El pimiento	ɛl piˈmjɛ̃nto	Elle pee-me-en-toh
Cayenne Pepper	El pimiento de Cayena	ɛl piˈmjɛ̃nto ðe kaˈʝena	Elle pee-me-en-toh day kah-ye-nah
Habanero	El habanero	ɛl aβaˈnɛɾo	Elle ah-bah-nay-ro
Jalapeño	El jalapeño	ɛl xalaˈpeɲo	Elle ha-lah-pay-nyo
Peperoncino	El peperoncino	ɛl pepɛɾõnˈsino	Elle peh-peh-ron-chee-no

Seeds and Legumes in Spanish

Seeds and legumes are fantastic sources of plant - based protein. Even if you’re not a vegetarian, consuming plant protein is a great way to improve digestion and help our organs do their job. Plus, if you’re a fan of Mexican and Latin American food, you’ll find that legumes like black beans, corn, and chickpeas are staple foods in these regions.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Beans	Los frijoles	los fɾiˈxoles	Los free-hole-ess
Black Beans	Los frijoles negros	los fɾiˈxoles̬ ˈneɣɾos	Los free-hole-ess
Pinto	Los frijoles pintos	los fɾiˈxoles ˈpĩntos	Los free-hole-ess peen-toss
Kidney Beans	Los frijoles colorados	los fɾiˈxoles koloˈɾaðos	Los free-hole-ess koh-lo-rah-dos
Edamame	El edamame	ɛl eðaˈmame	Elle eh-da-ma-meh
Peas	Los chícharos	los ˈʧiʧaɾos	Los chee-cha-ross
Snow Peas	Los tirabeques	los tiɾaˈβekes	Los tee-rah-beh-kess
Snap Peas	Los guisantes	los ɡiˈsãntes	Los gee-san-tess
Corn	El maiz	ɛl ˈmai̯s	Elle mah-is
Chickpea	El garbanzo	ɛl ɡaɾˈβãnso	Elle gar-bahn-zo
Fava Beans	Las habas	las ˈaβas	Las ah-bass
Lentil	La lenteja	la lɛ̃nˈtexa	La len-tay-ha
Peanut	El cacahuate	ɛl kakaˈwate	Elle kah-kah-ooh-ah-teh
Soybean	La soya	la ˈsoʝa	La so-ya

Sea Vegetables in Spanish

Sea vegetables are easily forgotten as most people don’t think of underwater crops when they think of vegetables. However, sea vegetables are a staple of East Asian cuisines, with Japanese culture being one of the most eager to incorporate sea vegetables. So, if you’re a fan of sushi and Japanese food, you’ll want to learn the vocabulary below.

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation
Wakame	El wakame	ɛl waˈkame	Elle wah-kah-meh
Sea Lettuce	La lechuga de mar	la leˈʧuɣa ðe ˈmaɾ	La lay-choo-ga day mar
Green Laver	Las algas verdes	las ˈalɣas̬ ˈβɛɾðes	Las al-gas ver-des
Nori	El nori	ɛl ˈnoɾi	El no-ree

Traditional Latin American Vegetables

Learning a new language is a great way to explore new cultures and discover new things. Even if you’re studying Spanish online at home, you can pretend to go on a trip through Latin America by learning about the vegetables local to each country. Here is a non - exhaustive list of some of the local vegetables you can expect to find at the market next time you go to one of these Latin American countries!

English	Spanish	IPA Spelling	Pronunciation	Country
Nopal	El nopal	ɛl noˈpal	Elle no-pal	Mexico
Jicama	La jícama	la ˈxikama	La he-kah-ma	Mexico
Poblano pepper	El chile poblano	ɛl ˈʧile poˈβlano	Elle chee-lay poe-blah-no	Mexico
Chipotle	El chipotle	ɛl ʧiˈpot̚le	Elle chee-poe-tlay	Mexico
Chia Seeds	La chía	la ˈʧia	La chee-ah	Mexico
Red Potato	La papa sabanera	la ˈpapa saβaˈnɛɾa	La pah-pah sah-bah-nay-ra	Colombia
Creole Potato	La papa criolla	la ˈpapa ˈkɾjoʝa	La pah-pah cree-oh-ya	Colombia
Exploding Cucumber	El cuchinito	ɛl kuʧiˈnito	Elle coo-chee-knee-toe	Colombia
Oca	La oca	la ˈoka	La oh-kah	Peru
Ají amarillo chili	El ají amarillo	ɛl aˈxi amaˈɾiʝo	Elle ahi ah-mah-re-yo	Peru
Maca	La maca	la ˈmaka	La mah-kah	Peru
Ulluco	El ulluco	ɛl uˈʝuko	Elle oo-yu-coh	Peru
Water Root	El yacón	ɛl ɟʝaˈkõn	Elle yah-con	Peru
Mashua	La mashua	la ˈmaswa	La mah-shoe-ah	Peru
Purple Corn	El maiz morado	ɛl ˈmai̯s̬ moˈɾaðo	Elle mah-is moe-rah-doe	Peru
Peruvian Corn	El choclo	ɛl ˈʧoklo	Elle cho-clo	Peru
Quinoa	La quinoa	la kiˈnoa	La key-no-ah	Peru
Stuffing Cucumber	La caigua	la ˈkai̯ɣwa	La kai-gua	Peru
Amaranth	El amaranto	ɛl amaˈɾãnto	Elle ah-mah-ran-toh	Peru
Cucumber of the Forest	El pepino del monte	ɛl peˈpino ðɛl ˈmõnte	Elle pay-pee-no del mon-tay	Argentina
Anean Potatoes	Las papas andinas	las ˈpapas ãnˈdinas	Las pah-pas an-dee-nas	Argentina
Squash	El ayote tierno	ɛl aˈʝote ˈtjɛɾno	Elle ah-yo-tay tee-er-no	Costa Rica
Elephant Ear	El tiquisque	ɛl tiˈkiske	Elle tea-keys-kay	Costa Rica
Zapallo Squash	El zapallo	ɛl saˈpaʝo	Elle za-pah-yo	Costa Rica
Dill	El eneldo	ɛl eˈnɛldo	Elle en-el-doe	Costa Rica
Long coriander	El culantro	ɛl kuˈlãntɾo	El cu-lan-troh	Nicaragua
Aloe Vera	El aloe vera	ɛl aˈloe ˈβɛɾa	Elle ah-lo-eh vay-ra	Nicaragua

Tips for Memorizing Vegetables in Spanish

1. Watch Spanish Cooking Videos

Choose vegetarian or vegan recipes to maximize exposure to vegetable vocabulary.

2. Always Ask for a Spanish Menu

Even at local restaurants - challenge yourself to read and order in Spanish.

3. Create Flavor Profile Flashcards

Write what the vegetable tastes like, how it’s cooked, and where it grows - in Spanish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What vegetable is Spain most known for?

Garlic (el ajo) - it appears in almost every traditional Spanish dish.

What vegetables define Mexican cuisine?

Corn, chilies, tomatillos, nopal, and avocado.

Can I bring fresh vegetables across borders?

Usually no - fresh produce is commonly restricted. Packaged items are safer.

Keep Expanding Your Food Vocabulary

You now know over 130 vegetables in Spanish, which is an incredible foundation. From here, you can move on to fruits, meats, drinks, and full recipes. For structured practice, Berlitz UAE can help - whether you learn at the Berlitz Berlitz Jumeirah Centre or the Berlitz JLT Centre in Dubai. Whether you’re learning Spanish for travel, cooking, or pure curiosity - you’re well on your way to sounding like a true foodie en español