16 Vegetables That Start with U

If you’re facing a tough quiz of stating some vegetables that start with U, don’t be disappointed as we’re here with a long list of veggies that start with the letter U.

Without any further ado, let’s delve into the list to find out your favorite ones.

Fruits That Start with U

A Complete List: Vegetables that start with U 

Though vegetables that begin with the letter U are few in nature, we think we’ve found a hell lot of vegetables in this article to quench your thirst. Hopefully, you’ll be oriented with the different cultures around the world through odds words defining their vegetables.

1. Uche

Uche is a South Asian vegetable known as bitter gourd for its mouth-puckering bitter taste. The bitterness increases as the bitter gourd ages in the plants. When they’re young and green, they have fewer seeds and are beautifully incorporated into a fried recipe. And they taste best when they’re unripe and green. The ripe ones contain lots of seeds and have a puckering flavor. Those who know the arts of cooking can reduce the bitterness of uche vegetables. You can make broth of these uche vegetables, but it’s always better to fry these veggies.

2. Udo

Yama Udo, scientifically known as aralia cordata is native to the wooden embankments of Japan and Korea. They have some other names, such as udo, mountain asparagus, etc. The wild udo is also known as sansai in Japan.

Udo is a root vegetable but can grow up to nine meters in favorable conditions. The edible shoots have firm and thin skin with a white core. They have leucocytes to produce food for them. The leaves of udo add pleasant flavor when used in salad or soup. You might still get a taste of celery covered on earthy notes.

You can fry up or cook the shoots or add them as additive items to improve your food flavor. Udo veggies offer a package of fibers and nutrition. If you need to loosen your bowel motion a bit, you count on the power of udo veggies.

3. Udupi

Udupi mattu gulla is a geographical indicator food of India that originated in the village of mattu in Udupi. At first sight, the uncommon green brinjal seems like a first-grade vegetable. Here gulla indicates the spherical size of the eggplant. The blending of green and white skin reflects something eye-catching, with the green striae converging into the white skin. They grow medium in size and taste unique compared to the red eggplants. The few seeds don’t stand a bothering experience when you look at the handsome pulp inside.

Udupi mattu gulla has a rich history as they were once used as offerings by the Hindu purohit. But the famous food that invariably incorporates mattu gulla is known as ‘sambhar’. If you go to the mattu village and the adjoining areas, you might experience the exquisite taste of different recipes bearing the mattu gulla flavors.

4. UFO squashes

I know you’re puzzled by the name of this vegetable that starts with the letter U. What the heck does it have to do with aliens! You’ll get the answer if you ever dart around the store for a pattypan squash. The squash just looks like a flying saucer aka UFO, hence the name UFO squash. However, many customers might know the pattypan squash as sunburst squash. The name has also some logic behind it.

The summer squash has scalloped edges and a dome-shaped upward projection in the center. The color combo includes green and yellow rind and a calculative mix of them. The more the UFO squash matures, the more greenish it becomes. The medium-sized UFO squashes are suitable for you to saute, grill, or roast them. 

They are one of the most flavorful squashes that grow in the summer. As per nutrition, they are densely packed with potassium and vitamin C. When the frost in your garden melts away exposing the soil for the sunlight to grow these fabulous sunburst squashes aka UFO squashes.

5. Ugwu

Ugwu or ugu is a favorite vegetable of around half a billion people on the west coast of Africa, yet lots of people don’t know about it. Maybe some of you might recognize it as the fluted pumpkin. Yes, it’s a variety of pumpkins, but the fruit isn’t edible. The fluted pumpkin looks like a cucumber with sharp longitudinal edges. However, only the seeds of the fluted pumpkin and the leaves of the tree are edible.

Ugu is cultivated for the medicinal properties of the leaves and seeds. Anybody can benefit from the tons of vitamins and minerals residing in them. The leaves can be beneficial for health if you use them in the tea. The leaves contain much of essential nutrients including antioxidants. Ugu can be used in soup to strengthen the flavors and reap enormous health benefits.

6. Ul kochu

Ul kochu or ol kochu is a Bangladeshi trademark vegetable that’s mainly used in mashed cuisine. The humble taro is also known as elephant foot yam. Cynics will argue if it should be a trademark food in the subcontinent or in the Philippines, Malaysia, and other southeast Asian countries. The intense flavor can stir the inside of someone easily. However, there are thousands of people in line to vouch for the tastefulness of ul kochu.

You may try it once to ensure that this vegetable beginning with u is your type. If your tastebuds don’t accept the flavor, some magical twists in the recipe can fix it right. The nutrition profile of elephant foot yam is astonishing with regard to the antioxidant quality. The veggies help you to keep any acute infections at bay.

7. Ulluco

Ulluco is a South American vegetable that greatly resembles a potato. Ulluco literally means tuber and like potato, it’s a root vegetable. This vegetable occupies a significant part of South American cuisine. Ulluco is also associated with the Inca history since the cultivation period dates back to the Inca period. 

Ulluco has a thin rind covering white to yellow flesh. The gorgeous oval shape can sometimes change to a round, cylindrical, elongated form with bending, rounded, or pointed ends. The taste isn’t distinct as different varieties offer variegated flavors. But the overall flavor is sweet and musky with an overtone of earthy flavor. The taste will certainly remind you of potatoes and beetroot.

8. Ulster Emblem

Ulster Emblem is a potato variety from Ulster, one of the provinces of Northern Ireland. Mr. J. Clarke determined to breed a diseases-resistant variant to further avoid the devastating fungal infections of the potatoes. The result is quite amazing as he developed a better potato cultivar, later known as Ulster Emblem.

The potato is an oblong beauty with a brownish-yellow rind white flesh. If you know how to cook well, then the potatoes will yield you the greatest flavors. The flesh has less starch with lots of water portion. Ulster Emblem is relatively sweeter than the other potatoes. The firm and waxy texture are helpful to boil, steam, roast, mash, or use in soups.

9. Umatilla russet

If you’re keen on frozen frying a better variety of potatoes, Umatilla russet potato might come to your help. The US Department of Agriculture introduced this variety in 1988 after breeding the variety in Umatilla county or Oregon. The potato is named after the Umatilla tribe which was living in northwest America, especially in Oregon.

The potato is rounded and oblong in shape with tapering rounded ends. The deep brownish skin has red and orange tinges with sometimes ugly spots on it. However, the white to yellowish flesh is sweet and succulent. The creamy flesh can satisfy your tastebuds if cooked properly. You can mash or steam the Umatilla russet potatoes besides using them for frozen frying.

Potatoes are undoubtedly a powerhouse of energy due to the presence of a large proportion of carbohydrates. The starchy pulp can satisfy your hunger for a meal at noon or at dinner. But it’s better to avoid consuming more potatoes than your body needs as they possess some health risks.

10. Umbrella squash

Umbrella squash is just a linguistic play of some nerds. They call the pattypan aka UFO squash as umbrella squash due to their weird and unique shape. Umbrella squash can’t protect you from the rain, but it can certainly direct your bowel habit in the right direction. Umbrella squash contains the seventh proximate principle of food and that’s the dietary fiber that protects you from chronic diseases, such as diverticulitis, diabetes, etc.

11. Upland cress

Scientifically known as Barbarea verna, Upland cress is a popular cress plant synonymously known as American cress, garden cress, or winter cress. The leaves are as green as they should be to satisfy your nutritional cravings. The serrated foliages are almost round to square in shape hanging in the soft petiole. They’re preferred to other cress plants due to the easy and sophisticated cultivation process. 

Upland cress has an acidic flavor ranging from pungent to bitter taste, but the overall flavor is refreshing. The leaves are widely used in salads and soups to enhance the refreshing flavor. You can eat them raw like any other greens or you can cook them with accessory dishes. Upland cress is renowned for its nutraceutical properties. The leaves are packed with tons of vitamin C, iron, calcium, and magnesium. The medicinal properties can be used to boost your compromised immunity.

12. Upo vegetable

Upo vegetable is actually a bottle gourd as known to the Americans. The huge structure of upo vegetables has a bottle-like appearance and hence is known as bottle gourd in English. The green coating contains a whitish flesh that’s rich in minerals and fibers. The oblong shape of the bottle gourd suddenly adopts an elliptical shape something in between the body.

The savory taste will please you if you can perfectly saute the vegetable with some meaty flavors. You can also add fish like sardines, meat like beef, or even scrambled eggs to add some texture to the sauteed upo vegetables. Sometimes upo or bottle gourd can be confused with chayote as they are somewhat similar in appearance and taste. Upo vegetable is widely used in subcontinental cuisine. 

The dishes are prepared by roasting and making broth or by adding lentils to them. The pleasant taste will haunt your tastebuds if you ever taste it once. The fibers are helpful to reduce your blood sugars and also, prevent constipation. The large size of the vegetable is enough for a meal for a small-size family.

13. Urad bean

If you want a dirt-cheap food high in proteins and fibers, urad bean can be a good choice in your diet. The satisfying flavor and rich texture of urad dal can enamor your tastebuds for a long time. If you’ve ever been to the Indian subcontinent, you might have tasted a delicious dish of urad bean. If not, you can try it if you’re planning to visit subcontinental countries any time soon.

Urad bean is also known as black gram, mash kalai, urad dal, etc. It’s black in color and sometimes found with a white split in it. Urad beans can be eaten whole, split, or as dal. Some people love to chew it in their leisure time. You can see the street vendors selling urad beans in paper-made cones, of course in the streets of the subcontinent. It’s been a favorite pastime for many.

Urad beans contain a great deal of carbohydrates and protein. Important vitamins like folate and cobalamin in urad beans may satisfy the minimum needs of these essential vitamins. Urad beans of one-fourth cup provide 130 calories with significant carb and protein portions. The fibers in it can help prevent chronic diseases and constipation. Those who are willing to build muscle can try this out along with exercises.

14. Ube fruit

Ube fruit, also known as the African plum or African pear, is a popular fruit in West Africa. It is called ube in Nigeria and atanga, nsafu, butterfruit, etc. in other parts of Africa. The trees are evergreen and are used mainly by the people of the west coast for making ube juice and jam but they’re also found in other parts of Africa. Leaves and barks have medicinal properties and are used by locals for years. Recent studies show that leaves contain powerful antioxidants.

If you want to eat ube fruits, know that the indigo skin and greenish pulp of the fruit are edible. You should not eat the seeds, because they are bitter and not edible. But the seeds also have lots of uses in Unani treatment. The delicate texture of this fruit has the capacity to ward off chronic diseases. Because it is packed with antioxidants, flavonoids, alkaloids, and other important elements.

15. Umibudo

Umibudo is a Japanese fruit that looks like grapes, but they are actually leaves. You can eat umibudo like you would eat grapes, raw or in soup, rice, or salad. Some people call them “grape-like,” but their flavor is better than that of grapes. They have a special popping sensation when you eat them because they contain bubbles of air inside them caused by the algae found in them. Umibudo has antioxidant properties and might contribute to good health for people in Japan because they are from Okinawa.

16. Ukrainian heart tomato

The heart-shaped Ukrainian tomato is amazing both in appearance and taste. What about you treating yourself or your loved ones by dining on the lovely Ukrainian heart tomato? It would be great if you can display the heart shape on the salad platter. And it’s possible if you slice the tomatoes longitudinally. The tomatoes offer the classical tomatoey flavor, the mouth-puckering taste. The antioxidant-rich tomato is helpful to fend off chronic diseases and boost immunity.

Health Benefits of vegetables starting with u

Vegetables that start with U have plenty of health benefits you can harness to enhance your immune system. The list includes leafy vegetables as well as antioxidant-rich root and cruciferous vegetables. Here’s a brief description of what you can get from these yummy vegetables beginning with U.

1. Helps improve vision and maintains epithelial tissue growth
2. Rich in antioxidants and keep chronic diseases at bay
3. Prevents the onset of diverticulitis, colon cancer, bowel diseases, constipation
4. Helps to fight chronic diseases e.g. diabetes, cancer, etc.
5. Meets the calorie demand of the body.

And so on.

Why are vegetables that start with U less in number?

The words that start with U are hard to pronounce. It needs much effort to diverge and converge the air ejected from the mouth. Maybe that’s why people choose fewer words that begin with such difficult pronunciation. The same thing applies to the vegetables that begin with the letter U. But the hard-working Africans still pronounce words starting with U that need much effort to pronounce.

Final Words 

We’ve articulated a complete list of vegetables that start with U. You don’t need to know any more vegetables to win a Quizlet. You can bookmark this article to come back again and try different vegetables to diversify your taste. Such a habit will help you to stick to a healthy eating habit. Let me know if this article helps you in any way.