171 Delectable Words for Food in Spanish (and How To Use Them)

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Spain, Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries are gastronomic destinations, making it essential that visitors can express their likes and dislikes and order food in Spanish. And every drink and food in Spanish offers a new opportunity to build fluency, providing common ground that can help spark conversation with any Spanish speaker.

Whether sharing tapas with friends in Seville or savoring ceviche in Lima, learning Spanish through Rosetta Stone can help you talk about la comida (food) in real-life situations. Through interactive lessons and immersive learning experiences, you can build on the basic Spanish food words you’ll learn in this guide. 

Basic alimentos (foods) in Spanish  

Food vocabulary in Spanish is the foundation of many language skills, like talking about what you eat or following a recipe. It allows in-depth Spanish grammar practice, giving you practical and authentic context to practice conjugation and verb tenses in Spanish. 

Learning to speak about food is also a great way to practice noun-adjective agreement, one of the most important Spanish grammar rules for every learner to know. 

The below categories of Spanish foods and drinks can help get you started!

Common frutas (fruits) in Spanish 

Visiting puestos de frutas (fruit stalls) is part of daily life in many Latin American countries, especially those that boast an abundance of tropical fruit. Here is some essential Spanish food vocabulary to help you buy fruta fresca (fresh fruit) from a local vendor:

*In some Spanish-speaking countries, la lima means “lemon” and el limón means “lime.”

As with other common Spanish nouns, foods in Spanish can be singular or plural, and plural nouns will almost always end in –s or –es.

For example, when talking to a fruit vendor you could use the plural forms to ask:

• ¿Tiene mangos maduros? = Do you have ripe mangoes?
• ¿Cuanto valen los aguacates? = How much are the avocados? 

List of verduras (vegetables) in Spanish 

Vegetables are an essential component of the South American diet. Learning the most common ones will help you navigate menus and understand local cuisine.

* “Potato” translates as patata in Spain. 

If you’re un quisquilloso con la comida (a picky eater), you can use this vocabulary to express your distaste for certain vegetables:

• No me gusta la berenjena. = I don’t like eggplant.
• Odio el sabor del espárrago. = I hate the taste of asparagus. 

Essential Spanish vocabulary for carne (meat) and mariscos (seafood)

Many of Spain’s most popular dishes are made with meat or seafood. Segovia’s cochinillo asado (roasted suckling pig) is a delectable main dish whereas Andalusia’s gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp) serve as a tasty appetizer.

You can use this vocabulary to order meat and seafood dishes in Spain or another Spanish-speaking country. For example:

• Para empezar me gustaría las croquetas de jamón. =  To start, I’d like the ham croquettes. 
• Quisiera el bacalao a la Vizcaína. = I would like the Basque-style codfish stew. 

Productos lácteos (dairy products) in Spanish 

Knowing dairy products in Spanish can help you tailor your food choices, allowing you to express dietary restrictions and order popular foods and drinks such as una hamburguesa con queso (a hamburger with cheese) and un café con leche (a coffee with milk).

Learning the difference between ser and estar in Spanish is useful for talking about food. Ser (to be) is used to talk about a food’s permanent quality. For example: 

• El yogur es saludable. = Yogurt is healthy. 
• El helado es delicioso, especialmente en el verano. = Ice cream is delicious, especially in summer. 

Useful Spanish food words for pantry essentials 

Trying out recipes in Spanish is a great way to immerse yourself in the language. Learning these pantry staples can help you cook authentic dishes like Mexico’s beloved pastel de nuez (pecan cake) or Spain’s delicious arroz con leche (rice pudding).

Following a recipe in Spanish will not only help you learn food vocabulary but also the imperative mood in Spanish and common cooking verbs such as mezclar (to mix) and agregar (to add).

• Mezcla la leche con el azúcar. = Mix the eggs with the sugar. 
• Agrega una cucharadita de sal. = Add a teaspoon of salt. 

Tentempiés (snacks) and postres (desserts) in Spanish

This list of Spanish food words will help you satisfy your cravings in Spain and Mexico, where panaderías (bakeries for bread) and pastelerías (bakeries for cakes) are plentiful.

Dessert vocabulary in Spanish can vary significantly from one country to the next. For example, el pastel is the most common translation of “the cake,” but la torta, el bizcocho, el queque, and la tarta are also used in some places. To learn more about regional variations of a Spanish food or drink word, you can consult SpanishDictionary.com. 

Names of food in Spanish for everyday meals 

While learning everyday meals in Spanish is a great start, there are also endless authentic dishes to explore across Spanish-speaking countries, from Spain’s gazpacho to Costa Rica’s gallo pinto (fried rice and beans).   

Common Spanish desayunos (breakfasts) 

You can start practicing your Spanish first thing in the morning with this list of breakfast vocabulary.

Common almuerzos (lunches) and cenas (dinners) in Spanish

You get a lucky break with lunch and dinner foods, as many are Spanish cognate words that are written the same or nearly the same in Spanish and English. Additionally, many common lunches and dinners are the same in English, such as enchiladas and tacos.

While enjoying your meal, you can use estar to comment on the temperature or how it tastes. For example:

• La avena está muy caliente. = The oatmeal is very hot. 
• Las papas fritas están demasiado saladas. = The french fries are too salty. 

Common bebidas (drinks) in Spanish 

Drinks in Spanish are some of the most important Spanish words for beginners. They’re practical and easy to apply to authentic contexts.

You can use the verbs gustar (to like) and preferir (to prefer) to state your preference for a drink in Spanish.

• Prefiero el café con leche al café solo. = I prefer coffee with milk to black coffee.
• Me gusta más el vino rojo que el blanco. = I like red wine more than white. 

How to talk about consuming drinks and food in Spanish 

Eating and drinking are everyday actions, so the Spanish verbs used to express them are essential. Here are the most common Spanish verbs to discuss what you eat and drink.

These verbs can be used in a variety of contexts, such as when describing a typical day’s meals:

• Suelo desayunar huevos y pan tostado. = I usually have eggs and toast for breakfast.
• Por la tarde, tomo un café con un bocadillo. = In the afternoon, I have a coffee and a sandwich.
• Generalmente ceno carne con verduras. = I generally have meat with vegetables for dinner.

Expand your Spanish food vocabulary with Rosetta Stone 

As one of the most important steps in how to learn Spanish, developing your vocabulary allows you to communicate effectively in different situations. Fun yet practical food vocabulary is the perfect place to start.

For personalized practice and feedback, connect with a Rosetta Stone Spanish tutor. Small-group practice can speed up learning and make you more comfortable holding conversations in Spanish. And don’t forget to ask, ¿Qué te gusta comer? (What do you like to eat?) to kickstart a flavorful discussion in your first session!