Practically perfect in every way, this list pops poetry like pickles from the pantry!
Yep, our list of foods that start with P includes 17 of the finest meals, ingredients, and foods from around the world!
Stretch your peculiar vocabulary and party with the likes of pastry, pancetta, prosciutto, panna cotta, pastitsio, pearl onions, palomas, pistachios, and piña coladas!
Our list below has a few details and links to recipes that might make you pretty positive about cooking something delicious in the kitchen for your friend Pat, Peter, Porter, Patrick, Polly, Pyotr, Penny, Pendergrass, Pepe, or Pepper!

Also dubbed as pesara dosa and cheeldo, pesarattu is a breakfast crepe made from the combination of green gram and spices.
It’s popular in the Andhra cuisine and served with allam pachadi or ginger pickle, ginger chutney, and rava upma, a South Indian breakfast dish made from rava or cream of wheat.

2. Pestiños
Pestiños are a traditional Spanish pastry made from flour, aniseed, olive oil, wine, and a little sugar.
The flavored strips of dough are then fried to crispy perfection then drizzled with honey, cinnamon, and sugar on top.
Originated in Andalucía, southern Spain, pestiños are a few of the most known treats to serve during Christmas, Easter, or Holy Week.

3. Pelmeni
Pelmeni are meat dumplings that are quite known in Russian cuisine.
The soft dough, made from water, egg, salt, and flour, is filled with seasoned ground meat then boiled and tossed in butter.
The final dish is then served with sour cream or vinegar.

4. Pecorino Romano
Pecorino Romano is a type of cheese that originated in Italy.
This variety has a dry and granular texture with a salty flavor and strong aroma.
The cheese is usually made from pasteurized or unpasteurized cow’s or sheep’s milk.
According to cheese.com, this cheese variety was part of the staple diets of soldiers at war during Roman times. Now that’s an old cheese!
Today, pecorino romano is used for pasta dishes, bread, and baking casseroles.

5. Pebete
Pebete is an oval-shaped bun notable for its thin crust and texture close to brioche. Made from wheat flour, this staple comes from Argentinian and Uruguayan cuisine.
It’s usually used to prepare a sandwich filled with cheese, tomato, mayo, and meat.
Pebete is the Argentinian version of America’s popular sandwich, BLT.
6. Peperkoek
Also known as ontbijtkoek, peperkoek is a baked cake made from a blend of egg, syrup, brown sugar, baking powder, flour, and aromatic spices like cloves and cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
This baked good is traditionally served at breakfast or afternoon with butter on top and a cup of tea as its side.

7. Profiteroles
Profiteroles are choux pastry balls filled with custard or cream and then drizzled with chocolate sauce on top.
The pastry balls are simply made from four ingredients: butter, water, egg, and flour.
These sweet treats are also named cream puff, or choux à la crème.

8. Papaya
Papaya is a fruit of the Carica papaya plant that originated in Central America and Southern Mexico.
Today it’s one of the most widely cultivated fruits in the world.
According to healthline.com, papayas can grow up to 20 inches long.
It has a shape similar to a pear and has green skin when unripe or orange when ripe.
Ripe papayas are juicy with a sweet and creamy texture perfect for fruit salad, iced tea, fresh salsa, or cold drinks like smoothies.

9. Pozole
Pozole is a hearty soup made from pork, hominy, and red chiles then topped with shredded cabbage, radishes, cilantro, lime, or avocado.
The dish is often served during Christmas eve or special occasions in Mexico.

10. Pecans
Pecans are a nut that’s known for their sweet, mild, and buttery flavor.
They also have a lightly crisp texture perfect as appetizers and additions to salads, cakes, candies, and cookies.
Here is our article about toasting pecans and why it makes so many recipes better!

11. Provolone
Originated in Southern Italy, provolone is a type of cheese that’s made mainly from cow’s milk.
This cheese is versatile and is used as condiments for salads, desserts, sandwiches, baked pasta dishes, and pizza.
Provolone cheese is classified into two forms: provolone dolce and provolone piccante.
The former is aged for two to three months and has a sweet taste while the latter features a sharper taste.

12. Pineapple
Pineapple is a popular and edible fruit that belongs to the Bromeliaceae family.
The fruit is native to tropical and subtropical America but it’s cultivated throughout the world now.
Ripe pineapples feature a refreshing and tropical flavor that balances the tastes of sweet and tart.
The fruit can be used as a topping for ice cream, as the main ingredient for desserts, drinks, and even savory dishes like Indian curry.
Follow our recipe for Grilled Pineapple. Add more brown sugar for a dessert experience. Remember not to turn the rings too soon so they get a nice caramelized edge.

13. Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a type of squash known for its round shape and deep yellow to orange color.
The vegetable (or fruit) has a slightly ribbed, tough, and smooth outer skin.
Because of its versatility, you can turn pumpkins into purée, pies, pudding, soup, stew, cake, and bread. Find out how long pumpkins last here.

14. Pita Bread
Pita bread is a flatbread consisting of yeast, sugar, flour, salt, and oil.
It’s also called “pocket bread” here in the U.S. because the cooking process creates an air bubble in the middle of the round bread.
When cut across, each half has a pocket to hold things like lunch meat, chicken salad, hummus and falafel, or whatever you might want in a bread sandwich.
It’s common in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines and sometimes used as a scoop for dips and sauces like hummus or tahini sauce.

15. Peas
There are a few different kinds of peas in the world, but for this entry, let’s talk about English peas.
Peas are a small, edible legume that belongs to the same family as lentils, chickpeas, beans, and peanuts.
They’re used to brighten up soups, stews, and casseroles and add texture to rice pilaf, salad, and pasta-based dishes.

16. Persimmon
Persimmon is an edible fruit featuring a silky texture with a combination of rich, tangy, and sweet flavors.
The fruit is common to include in pies, tarts, as an ice cream topping, with pancakes or waffles, or it’s sometimes served as a sweet condiment in savory dishes.
Visit Natasha’s Kitchen to see more about cooking with persimmons.

17. Pierogi
Pierogi is a dough dumpling stuffed with savory to sweet fillings such as potato, sauerkraut, cabbage, spiced meats, fruits, berries, or cheese, then, depending on if it’s sweet or savory, are served with onions, applesauce, butter, or sour cream.

The bottom line
If you’ve been craving a persnickety proprietary list of P food words, I hope this one did it for you!
If you had to pick a particular position about your favorite P food, which one would it be? For me, it’s definitely pierogi.
What other P foods can you think of? Let us know in the comments.

17 Foods That Start With P
Here are some fantastic culinary delights and some foods that start with P—all destined to be discovered by you!
Ingredients
- Pesarattu
- Pestiños
- Pelmeni
- Pecorino Romano
- Pebete
- Peperkoek
- Profiteroles
- Papaya
- Posole
- Pecan
- Provolone
- Pineapple
- Pumpkin
- Pita Bread
- Peas
- Persimmon
- Pierogi
Instructions
- Pick food items that you already tried
- Choose foods that you want to include in your next grocery list.