The letters of the alphabet can be the most concise approach to food as they help us discover foods hidden under exotic names. They also help you learn about a food word that you wouldn’t easily know about otherwise.

One of the most revealing of these letters is J. As you will notice, a J food repertoire is a lean list with many local words into the mix such as ‘jujube.’ These local words exist side by side with everyday language terms like ‘jiffy’, incidentally a word that may seem to have little to do with food yet it defines your very palate!

Let’s now explore the foods that start with J.

Fruits: Jaboticaba, Jackfruit, Jambolan, Jambu, Jambul, Japanese Plum, Jatoba Fruit, Java Apple, Java Fruit, Jazz Apples, Jelly Palm Fruit, Jonathan Apple, Jocote Fruit, Jostaberries, Jujube, Juneberries, Junglesop Fruit, Juniper Berry.

Vegetables and legumes: Jarrahdale, Jelly Mushrooms, Jerusalem Artichoke, Jicama, Julienned Vegetables, Juliet Tomatoes.

Spices, oils and Condiments: Jam, Jalapeno, Jamaican Hot Peppers, Jelly.

Meat, Poultry and fish: Jerky, Jewfish.

Dairy and Eggs: Jack Cheese.

Grains and seeds: Jasmine Rice, Jot.

Ready Meals: Jaegerschnitzel, Jaffle, Jaffa Cakes, Jalapeno, Jalapeno Poppers, Jaffle, Jalapeno Chips, Jalebi, Jalepo Muffins, Jamaican Ginger Cake, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Jam Muffins, Jambalaya, J Jambon, ambon au Madere, Japanese Sushi, Jawbreaker, Jellied Eeels, Jello, Jelly Beans, Jelly Donut, Jelly-filled Doughnuts, Jerk Chicken, Jewish Matzo Ball Soup, Jewish Rye Bread, Jiffy Cornbread, Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, JingBaiJan, Johnny Cakes, Jojo Potatoes, Jollof Rice, Jordanian Mansaf, Jota, Juice Pops, Jumbo Pretzels.

Beverages: Jager, Jamba Juice,, Jasmine Tea, Java, Juice, J

Fruits that start with J

Discover a tempting selection of fruits whose names begin with the letter J.

1. Jaboticaba

Jaboticaba are the berries that form and hang closely along the stem of the Brazilian grape tree. They are rounded berries with purplish black hue and have white pulp. Their uses range from raw eating to making jellies and jam as well as extracting wine and juice. The plants belong to the myrtaceae family and they are similar to Myciaria vexator of Venezuela, also known as false jaboticaba.

2. Jackfruit

Jackfruit is by contrast one of the largest fruits and at the same time one of the most productive. It is the scion of the jack tree, which is related to figs. It grows in India where it yields as many as 80 tons per hectare. Nevertheless, this same economic largesse factor has made the fruit humbled by the term ‘poor man’s fruit.’

How beneficial is the furry-textured and yellow-fleshed jackfruit?

Low protein content of 6% per the daily value but a pulp texture like that of meat.
Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin B and potassium levels that in unison keep down your weight, keep the skin healthy and boost your immunity.

3. Jambolan

A versatile plant with many uses ranging from producing folk medicine to serving culinary purposes, jambolan is a tropical plant that produces the similarly-named fruit. Its official name is Java plum, but in Asia people love to call it jambolan, Malabar plum and jaman, among other appellations.

Uses: the black tinged flattish yet rounded berry is eaten raw. The fruit’s seed and the tree’s leaf and bark serve as folk medicine for treating indigestion and diabetes.

4. Jambu

Jambu is often called Java plum like the above jambolan fruit but it is in reality Java apple (Syzygium samarangense). It is a bell-shaped berry with diverse tinges ranging from white to green and red, with others espousing scarlet, purple or dark purple hues. This Indian blackberry goes by many names in various Indian languages including Neludu in the Telugu tongue.

Jambu tastes sweetly with an aftertaste distantly recalling that of pears or cinnamon accented with rosewater highlights. The skin is crisp while the flesh is watery yet consistent. In beneficial terms, this berry is high in potassium, a beneficial mineral for blood pressure control.

5. Jambul

Jambul is another word for Jambolan, described above. This Malabar plum tree (Syxygium cumini), is not only a food source but a medicinal and ornamental plant. It also produces timber. The berries are reddish black while the leaves are evergreen.

While the seeds of the jambul fruit are the most used parts of the tree for making anti-diabetic herbal medicine, leaf and bark extracts from the tree are also prominent as alternative medicinal sources.

6. Japanese Plum

As alternative sources of natural sugar in Far-East dishes, dried Japanese plums are without comparison. This is despite the irony that their Japanese term, umeboshi, means salted Japanese plums.

Their origin however, is not the Land of the Rising Sun, but rather the neighboring China. So, if you hear the alternative term Chinese plum being used to refer to these succulent deep red fruits of a bushy deciduous tree, then you will know they are the same ones under reference.

7. Jatoba Fruit

Strikingly shaped like an exaggerated toe, Jatoba fruit is a starchy fruit of Brazil that also goes by the derogatory term ‘stinking toe.’ The fruit is made up of a pod with pulp inside. This pulp is dried and then crushed to make a starchy powder used in pastry-making in Brazil.

In medicinal terms, the jatoba fruit extract is used traditionally for:

Giving relief to fungal infections
Curing mouth ulcers
Controlling respiratory illnesses such as asthma

8. Java Apple

Native to Malaysia, Java apples are now widely distributed in sub-tropical nations. Known alternatively as wax apples in English or Jambu in south Asian vernaculars, the Java apple has a sweet taste with hints distantly recalling that of pears or cinnamon accented with rosewater highlights. The skin is crisp while the flesh is watery yet consistent. In beneficial terms, this berry is high in potassium, an essential mineral for blood pressure control.

9. Jazz Apples

The Jazz apple is a branded apple and a Scifresh variety of the domesticated apple. It is essentially a Royal Gala-Braeburn hybrid. So the next time you munch away at the crisp maroon red skin of the fruit with its orange hints, you will no doubt be recalling the texture and color of the popular red galas.

The fruit’s name is as rhyming as its music medium’s inspiration. Jazz apples derive from the ‘percussive crunch’ of both the fruit and the jazz flute. They are also tasty, a mixture of sweetness and tartness. Like in jazz music, it takes time to fully exploit the fruit’s true sweetness.

10. Jelly Palm Fruit

Jelly palm fruit is a chewy yellow fruit from the palm tree Butia capitata with juicy flesh that spurts juice once bitten into. The small fruits are great fruity companions for making jellies, margarine and vegetable oil. Though it is unclear how many nutritional components jelly palm fruits have, it is clear that they are rich in Vitamin C as well as fiber. The stones in the juicy pulp are endowed with protein and unsaturated fats.

11. Jonathan Apple

A sweet variety with a hint of acidity, the Jonathan apple is a low sugar fruit whose rind is tough yet smooth to the touch. It originated in Woodstock in New York state in 1826 and was named Malus domestica ‘Jonathan.’ The fruit’s common name derives from that of a boy whose family were neighbors with the first woman to introduce the seeds to Ohio.

When not munching one away, you can try a Jonathan apple with:

Paprika pork where it serves as a sliced fruit garnishing.
Caramel apple pie, made of apple slices sugared with syrup.

12. Jocote Fruit

Jocote fruit is the fruit of the Spondias purpura tree that bears flowers and is related to cashew nuts. The fruits which grow in clusters with stalks attached near the surface of the stem are common sights in Brazil through Mexico and the Caribbean.

Jocotes derive their name from the word xocotl, a Nahuatl term for sour fruits. Is this really their taste? Many people report the taste as that between a plum’s and a mango’s or to more effete, that of a Granny Smith apple!

13. Jostaberries

Jostaberries are a three-world cross involving a blackcurrant variety, a seaside American gooseberry variety and an European gooseberry species. This complexly bred berry has as multiple uses as its breeding, namely:

Making desserts: pies, crumbles and sauces.
Processing: providing juice extract for making wine and cordials.

As a plant, a jostaberry espouses all the qualities of its core parents: it makes for a good natural fence just like a currant and gooseberry. Similar to a currant, it has no thorns.

14. Jujube

As small as a cherry and sometimes as big as a plum, a jujube or Chinese date is a round yet flattened pear-shaped date that is naturalized in North America with an origin from China. A natural sedative associated with the onset of sleepiness, this fruit may be your go-to when you want to feel drowsy but sleep won’t come.

After pitting it, Jujube exudes a satiating flesh when munched on raw. In Asia, the fruit garnishes cuisine whereby you slice it in half and sprinkle the drops on salads and granola or cheese-based meals.

15. Juneberries

A flowery exuberant plant, Juneberries are the cousins of blueberries but are closer to apples in fruit formation. They go by many names, from sugarplums to chuckley pears wherever you find them, especially in their native North America. Their exuberant looks derive from the fact that they come from the family of roses. The fruit itself is candy to the eye; a black-blue or bright purple rounded berry with an open calyx on top.

What is the taste of Juneberries? A bite into the berry spurts juice that has a taste recalling that of raisins, blueberries or even certain types of cherries.

16. Junglesop Fruit

Junglesop fruits is one of those African wild trees (Anonidium mannii) of major contrasts. This fruit that looks like a thorn-free cactus or guava from far grows on medium height to very tall trees. It has at least these major interesting contrasts:

The junglesoup tree can grow from a median height of 8 meters to 30 meters at its tallest.
The fruit weighs on average 4 to 6 kg but can reach 15 kg at its heaviest.
The flesh of the sliced fruit is bright yellow with a vertical white core containing seeds.

17. Juniper Berry

Coming from a very versatile plant with many uses, a juniper berry is the female seed of the juniper tree. Though not a true berry, it has fleshy pulp and thus it is eaten as a fruit. It has many uses including the treatment of bladder problems. The African juniper berry, known in Swahili as Beri ya Mreteni is infused into boiling tea as a powder and taken as a daily dose to cure bladder infection. In other African countries, twigs from the tree are ground and used for treating intestinal worms.

Related: Kenya juniper berries.

Vegetables and legumes that start with J

Discover a colourful range of vegetables and legumes starting with letter J.

18. Jarrahdale

Jarrahdale is synonymous with the historic town of Jarrahdale in Western Australia. This winter squash is like no other : it has a highly ribbed skin that is of a blue-gray hue with silver highlights. It is shaped like a flat rounded drum, with the only difference being the stalk protruding at its top. It has tender deep orange or yellow flesh with seeds in its core. The skin and flesh are both easily cut and peeled.

19. Jelly Mushrooms

Jelly mushrooms are white fungal mushrooms that grow on tree stumps and other places. They have an unpalatable yet earthy taste. Known scientifically as T.fuciformis basidiomes, they are often grown industrially when they are low in nature. They have many culinary uses, despite their bland taste including:

Soup making: their crunchy feel and slipperiness lends them the ability to serve as a neutralizing agent in sauces.
Making broth: they are often first boiled to do away with the water content which helps make them less soggy when cooked.
People in China have used jelly mushrooms for centuries as folk medicine for treating heart conditions and for improving immunity.

20. Jerusalem Artichoke

Jerusalem artichoke is a member of the sunflower family. As a plant, it is characterized by bright-colored yellow flowers with a calyx in the middle of the bud similar to a sunflower’s. As cuisine, this Latin American native crop, which is also widely grown in France and other parts of Europe, is used to make pickles and relishes. Its edible part is the tuber which is a corm shaped between a carrot and a cassava. It has an earthen light brown color with layers across the body. The artichoke is chestnut-crunchy in texture and has a sweet yet nutty feel on the palate.

The term Jerusalem artichoke comes from a corruption of the Italian word ‘girasole,’ as in ‘sunny,’ which at one time ended up being pronounced ‘Jerusalem.’

21. Jicama

A garlic corm look-alike minus the pungent smell or the sour taste, jicama is a turnip that has a deep brown skin. Like garlic, it is white inside but in taste it has the aroma of an apple, although with just slight highlights of sweetness. This tuber, which is commonly called the Mexican turnip, is recommended by doctors as it has nutrients that are beneficial to the heart and the gut. These include:

4 percent of the daily needs of potassium for good fluid circulation in the body.
Pantothenic acid from Vitamin B5, which helps in the oxidation of body fats.
90 grams of water and 1 percent protein content of the daily requirements.

22. Julienned Vegetables

More of a reference to green leaves and other veggies that have been cut in a certain manner than a term for specific food, julienned vegetables are classic for their cut elegance. Also going by the term allumette, this French cut involves squaring vegetables and then stripping them down into thin strands by a knife. The most common julienned vegetables include carrots, potatoes, celery and cucumbers. Each of these has its particular food mission, namely:

Julienned celery makes celeris remoulade dish.
French cut potatoes prepare julienne fries.
Carrots cut this way make carrots julienne.

23. Juliet Tomatoes

Juliet tomatoes are little cherry types that are grown for their succulent, juicy flesh and are famed for their sweetness. They were first developed as a hybrid in the 1990s. In appearance, they have a small berry with a pear end similar to that of a grape. The fruit turns from green to red when ripe. It is a popular cultivated cultivar in the United States.

These beauties feature in making tomato salads and guacamole. Juliet tomatoes can be sliced and roasted, fried or just eaten raw.

Dairy and eggs that start with H

Indulge in the creamy goodness of dairy and eggs starting with the letter H.

24. Jack Cheese

A home or deli winner among glossy cheeses, Jack cheese is a vintage American white, semi-hard type that is prepared from cow’s milk. It has a mild taste with bits of sweetness. It is rich in fat at 46 percent of the daily value though almost all is the saturated kind. It is also high in sodium but calcium compensates with 74 percent of the daily value.

Since its origin with Franciscan monks in California during the 1800s, Monterey Jack or simply jack cheese has featured in many cuisines: it makes macaroni glossy and garnishes burgers, grilled sandwiches, enchiladas as well as casseroles.

Grains and seeds that Start with J

Here are the numerous seeds and grains that begin with the letter J.

25. Jasmine Rice

Jasmine rice refers both to the long-grained variety of aromatic rice and also the fragrant dish made out of this grain. Its pleasant scent is often associated with popcorn flavor or even that of panda. Its aroma derives from the natural chemicals inside, of which 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline has the greatest influence. Seen in meals, the characteristic grain color can range from brownish to reddish and blackish tints.

26. Jot

Jot does not indicate any particular strain of grain. It is only a slang term that describes a very small amount of something, and is sometimes used to mean a small measure of grains. It can refer to wheat, maize or oats used in small amounts.

Meat, poultry and fish that start with J

How about a delightful selection of meat, poultry, and fish that begin with the letter J.

27. Jerky

Jerky refers to the top or bottom round cut from the loins of a cow. The word is also synonymous with the making of beef from jerky using very dense ingredients. This short loin meat is first salted and dried, which makes it long-preserving. It is often stripped down into small lean cuts that accelerate the process of dehydration as you add salt. In eaten form, this beef is tasty and espouses salty highlights on the palate.

The word Jerky is actually derived from an American Indian tribe’s word ‘charqui,’ which means dried meat.

28. Jewfish

Jewfish is a fish mainly belonging to Australian perch. Its name derives, interestingly, from the physical features rather than geography: the fish has large otoliths, a gravity sensor in the ear of the fish that is highly valued by fishermen.

Mulloway is among the best known Jewfish in the world and can be bred in rivers and they abound in ocean waters. It is carnivorous as it subsists on small aquatic life, including squids. In appearance, the fish has a straight black fin with a diamond shape while the rest of the body is light gray or similar light hues.

Spices, oils and condiments that start with J

Discover the exotic flavors that add depth and excitement to your dishes.

29. Jam

Basically a concentrated jelly, jam is a mixture of fruit and sugar which are boiled into a thick paste. This pectin-rich sweet product is used as a spread on bread and as an alternative food sweetener. It is rather nutritious despite its overt sweet flavor, with each serving providing the following key nutrients of the daily value:

23 percent carbs
14 percent Vitamin C
4 percent dietary fiber
2 percent calcium

30. Jalapeno

Jalapeno is a Mexican chili that was named the official pepper of the State of Texas in 1995. It is a fast growing cultivar of Capsicum annum that is usually mature in about 2 1/2 months. The pods are a fat, rounded pear curve with a length of 5 to 10 centimeters. They are slightly hot with a Scoville heat level of 4000 to 8500. Jalapenos have a hot burning flavor and make taco meals in Mexico that are glazed with sour cream.

31. Jamaican Hot Peppers

Jamaican hot peppers are red hot, high capsaicin types from Jamaica that develop into compact shapes. These vaguely diamond-shaped berries come from highly productive little plants. With their bell pepper compactness, the pods are 5 by 3.5 centimeters long and wide respectively, on average. You may be forgiven for mistaking the fruits for mushrooms from far.

In cuisine, the red-colored or yellow-tinged Jamaican hot peppers make great pickles. They are sometimes eaten raw for those whose palates can handle the intense heat. They garnish salsa meals, meat marinades and sauces.

32. Jelly

Jelly is a gelatin-based somehow stretchy food product which can also be made from pectin, the sweet extract of fruits. In fruits, the most common sources of this soluble fiber includes gums and citrus, among others.

Making jelly from a fruit simply involves the boiling of the pressed fruit juice with sugar. Jellies are used to add flavor to meat and as toppings to baked foods, fries and grills. Jellies are similar to jam, preserves and marmalade, only that they are more fruity in flavor.

Ready meals and that start with J

Who doesn’t love ready meals? After all, cooking isn’t for everyone. So if this is where you belong and curious to try out those ready meals and dishes that start with J, here they are!.

33. Jagerschnitzel

Jagerschnitzel is made of cutlets of pork stuffed in rolls that are baked to a crisp texture. It is an exotic German cuisine that is served with a special gravy made of mushrooms. It is widely popular across this European nation. Here is a simple guide on making one at home:

Cut pork into simple cubes.
Bread the cut pieces till they are fully covered in dough and pan-fry them until crisp.
Spread a generous measure of brown mushroom gravy and serve with bacon sauce.

34. Jaffle

Prepared from the iconic jaffle iron toaster device, a jaffle is a sandwich that is toasted automatically on this special container. The bread is put whole into the pan and a clamp in the toaster slices it into two and proceeds to toast both sides to a crisp brown. A jaffle’s main ingredients include wheat flour for making dough, while the sandwich may consist of baked beans, avocado pie or bacon.

35. Jaffa Cakes

Jaffa cakes are some of those classic pancakes that will never ebb with time. First introduced in 1927 in England, with their name deriving from Jaffa oranges, these cakes have more or less always consisted of an orange flavor. They are coated in several layers: a Genoise dough base followed by an orange jam spread and topped by a chocolate paste. This low-calorie cake can have other flavors besides orange, including lemon. As late as 2020, the pineapple version came up for a limited time.

36. Jalapeno Poppers

What comes close to deriving the nutritional benefits or sampling the burning taste of the Jalapeno chili? The answer of course is Jalapeno poppers, a spicy snack that is made from cored jalapenos, which are then stuffed. Popular stuffing ingredients include:

Creamy cheese
Bacon
Garlic, lime and cilantro condiments

These ingredients are used to fill the hollow pod of the chili and then baked to a crisp brown texture to form the spicy yet delicious Jalapeno poppers.

37. Jalapeno Chips

Jalapeno chips are that delightful packet of spicy snacks that you find in your supermarket or food store bearing crispy crackers. They are made of chopped potatoes prepared in vegetable oil. Popular candidates include corn oil and rapeseed oil.

The main seasoning ingredients range from salt to ground onions while spices include the chili for which Jalapeno chips derive their name, the Mexican-Texas Jalapeno peppers. You can also add a measure of paprika to enrich the spiciness.

38. Jalebi

Jalebi is a popular dish made of mainly corn or gram flour shaped into spiral shapes which are sweetened and fried to a golden orange color. They are common deli sights in Arab, Asian and some African snacks. A traditional Jalebi requires corn flour that is mixed with water and leavened with baking soda. Preparation steps include:

The batter of corn flour and baking soda is fermented overnight.
Then it is put in a circular motion into a hot oil pan and deep fried, resulting in hard spirals.
These spirals are then immersed into a sugary mixture, accounting for the very sweet flavor of Jalebi.

39. Jalepo Muffins

Jalepo muffins are domed cakes that are flavored with generous chops of Jalapeno peppers, lending the cakes a hot whiff. These cornbread muffins are quite delicious for no other reason than the rich ingredients involved in their making: honey, cheddar cheese, cornmeal and coconut oil. They are baked until crisp to provide a sweet, spicy unforgettable snack that is not too dissimilar to a jiffy, only tastier.

40. Jamaican Ginger Cake

As names go, Jamaican ginger cake steals the show, literally speaking, for it is not a cake from Jamaica but a British one made of ginger derived from this Caribbean island. This is at least the story of how Jamaican ginger cake got its name during the colonial days. In any case, the quintessential Jamaican ginger lends a kick of flavor to the self raising flour that is mixed with sour cream to neutralize the taste. This mix can be blended with eggs and is commonly coated with icing sugar for a creamy topping.

41. Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Jamaican jerk chicken is a dual meaning term. It can refer to the method of seasoning, smoking or grilling chicken and at the same time the particular peppers involved. A Jamaican jerk chicken is cooked into a soft delicious crisp after dipping it into a marinade composed of oil and spices, chief among which is the West Indian pimento. Other major ingredients include:

1. Chicken legs
2. Brown sugar
3. Smoked pepper (Jalapeno/scotch bonnet, paprika)
4. Soy sauce.

42. Jam Muffins

Jam muffins are cakes leavened to a dome and flavored inside or outside with a fruit paste. They can be made at home by mixing eggs with an all-purpose flour. Jam from raspberry or other fruits is put inside the batter and covered. The mixture is raised by using small amounts of baking powder. Eggs and milk mixed with butter and kept at room temperature help preserve the smoothness of the jam muffin and keep it fluffy as long as it is fresh.

43. Jambalaya

A New Orleans delicacy with origins in the larger home state of Louisiana, Jambalaya is an American Creole rice staple with cultural influences from both local and colonial peoples. It is alternatively called ‘Jumbled’ or ‘Mixed up,’ to highlight its one-pot dish characteristics. Meant to engender a filling up quality, Jambalaya’s very ingredients belie satiation. They include chicken or shrimp, white rice, sausage, bell peppers and other Cajun seasoning agents.

44. Jambon

Jambon is a delicatessen favorite across England, Ireland and France. It is a square block of pastry that is stuffed with meat and cheese. The most common meat ingredient is usually diced ham.

As a popular delicacy, Jambon has contested origins, with most food enthusiasts agreeing that it came from the ‘food to go’ movement of the ‘90s in Ireland, while others touting a purely French connection. All in all, no one wants to know the origin as long as they are savoring the delicate feel on the palate of frozen puff pastry filled with Dubliner cheese, while on the move!

45. Jambon au Madere

Jambon au Madere is a jambon that has been made into a classy dish. A jambon is basically diced ham that is covered in pastry dough. Add to this a side dish of savory creamy sauce made from tomatoes and swiss milk and you have a paste to go with the stuffed ham steak. It is a rapidly made dish that is usually ready in less than thirty minutes.

46. Japanese Sushi

Japanese sushi is a range of delicately prepared food in Japan, with the key ingredient being rice that is spiced with vinegar and seasoned with a little sugar and salt. The meal is usually followed up by a course of vegetables, fruits and similar recipes.

In most Japanese sushi recipes, seafood that is expertly prepared is used as a stuffing that is rolled in rice. In sushi lingo, this is called a Maki-zushi or sushi roll. Such a dish can also have eels and it is eaten out of hand.

47. Jawbreaker

Like the name suggests, a jawbreaker is made in such a way that it may break a tooth if you bite into it too eagerly. It is a candy made of a hard edible outer shell that you gnaw for a long time. As you relish it, you bypass various fruity flavors until you reach the promised land of soft candy in the core.

The core is usually tart and tender, as its flavor is garnished with real gum. In size, the average small jawbreakers are balls that are 1 to 3 centimeters across.

48. Jellied Eels

Crude-looking at a glance but quite nutritious all the same, jellied eels is a traditional cuisine of Britain whose main ingredient is chopped eels. These invertebrates are immersed into boiling water to form a soupy stock with some spicing. The term jellied eels emanates from the formation of the stock into a thick paste once the gravy cools down. The whole mix is eaten cold.

49. Jello

The term jello, pronounced Jell-O to indicate the brand, is a branded jelly that is made from non-baked cream pies mixed with gelatinous dessert and fruit pudding. The jelly or paste is registered under the Jell-O company whose headquarters is in Chicago, United States. The sticky nature of the product comes from the gelatin ingredient, obtained from animal hide and bones. There are also jello varieties from strictly vegan sources such as gum and seaweeds.

50. Jelly Beans

Jelly beans are shapely candies whose curved makes underline that of a real bean. They have a colorful outer layer made of candy and gelatinous interiors made of gel or jelly. Like jawbreakers, jelly beans hide their tender core behind a shell, only that unlike the former, the shells of these candies are quite soft. Owing to their leguminous shape, jelly beans are used in popular culture to show love, with some calling them ‘sweethearts.’

51. Jelly Donut

A Hanukkah holiday delicacy, the jelly donut is raised dough that is stuffed with custard. The custard ingredients normally include eggs and milk or milk with baking powder or yeast. After filling, the dough is fried deep in oil till it turns a confectionery brown. Sufganiyot, as jelly donut is known in Hebrew, uses the deep-frying medium as a reminder of the miracle oil that is said to have burned for eight days in the temple of Jerusalem. For flavoring, this donut is often filled with other fruity ingredients including lemon and strawberry.

52. Jelly-filled Doughnuts

Another term for jelly donuts, jelly-filled doughnuts are dough-made treats filled with a paste, jam or other custard. They are mostly a product of the Jews, and as such are fried in oil, and flavored with raspberry. At a glance, the nutritional makeup of jelly-filled doughnuts includes:

11 grams fat per piece.
17 grams of sugar in each donut.
290 calories, making them a mainly carbs-rich snack.

53. Jerk Chicken

Jerk chicken is made of chicken slices such as legs or breasts cooked into a soft delicious crisp texture after dipping them into a marinade composed of oil and spices, chief among which is the West Indian pimento. Other major ingredients, especially in the jerk chicken from Jamaica’s cuisine include:

Brown sugar
Smoked pepper (Jalapeno/scotch bonnet, paprika e.t.c.)
Soy sauce

54. Jewish Matzo Ball Soup

Jewish matzo ball soup is a blend of sauce and matzo balls in Jewish cuisine. The main ingredient is matzo meal, usually a ground form of a popular unleavened biscuit which some food enthusiasts call a cracker. This ground content is mixed with beaten eggs and fat. It is then fried in oil or margarine and sometimes chicken fat. The resulting soup is garnished with carrots and other ingredients and eaten with the submerged matzo balls.

55. Jewish Rye Bread

Different from other breads courtesy of its different ingredients, Jewish rye bread is made from rye and wheat flour with the additional inclusion of caraway seeds. Though a high quality bread, it was originally what people liked to refer to as ‘poor man’s bread.’ It was to be found in households with little wheat in them, forcing them to make their loaves out of rye embellished with caraway and nigella seeds. Today, the Jewish rye bread embraces wheat, whole caraway fruits and water raised with yeast and flavored with salt seasoning.

56. Jiffy Cornbread

Jiffy cornbread is a non-vegan bread made from cornmeal and wheat flour baked in lard from pig fat. Though some people add sugar to sweeten the bread, gourmets consider jiffy cornbread true only when without sugar. Other ingredients include:

1. Baking soda for leavening.
2. Buttermilk or whole milk.

57. Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

Jiffy corn muffin mix is an enriched cornmeal product for making sweetened cornbread or a raised pancake that oozes with delicious aroma. This branded product is a common base for making breakfast food in the US. It consists of yellow corn meal mixed with wheat flour. Pig’s lard and sugar are used as preservatives and sweeteners, respectively. Jiffy corn muffin mix can also be used as a base for desserts or a side dish, as it takes only a short time to prepare.

58. JingBaiJan

JingBaiJan is one of those oriental pastries that exude a world of food artistry inside out. It actually refers to a set of foods made of diverse ingredients. The most popular JingBaiJan pastry has a unique shape that changes depending on the baker, but all basically having a puffy dome.

The cake is stuffed with dates, plums, red bean jelly, and rose, among others, all sweetened with sugar. In some other quarters your cake will include a sparing pinch of salt and pepper. The wrapping is made of wheat flour mixed with oil and water.

59. Johnny Cakes

The flat Johnny cakes are made for filling you up and for recuperating energy lost in a journey. Indeed, as the name suggests, this traditional snack of the East Coast of the US and the Caribbean was first referred to as a ‘journey’ cake. Over time, this cake, which workers would munch away at between home and the farms, gained the staying term of Johnny cakes from an intervening mixture of accents. It is basically wheat flour and yellow cornmeal stuffed with bacon grease and eggs. It is leavened with baking powder and baked with vegetable oil.

60. Jojo Potatoes

Jojo potatoes are thick slices of potatoes that are deep-fried and then eaten together with a sauce. The slices are cut wedge-shaped, in essence looking like bloated versions of French fries or chips, only puffier. In cooking, these potato wedges are usually coated with wheat flour to give them a crisp brown lining.

How did the name Jojo potatoes come up? It came from some Idaho potato sellers with whom Nicewonger, who was then distributing pressure fryers for Nicewonger Co., in 1958, got acquainted. Nicewonger stuck to the word he had heard the sellers using.

61. Jollof Rice

A favorite dish from West Africa, jollof rice is a single-pot dish that is prepared from rice mixed with tomato paste and seasoning such as curry powder. The method of making the dish and the range of ingredients ranges from one place to the next. Basically, jollof rice is spiced with pepper and onions. Rice is parboiled and mixed with a tomato stew and enriched with meat. It is a staple across much of Nigeria, Ghana and other regional nations.

62. Jordanian Mansaf

Jordanian mansaf is a Middle Eastern delicacy prepared from lamb done in sauce and garnished with fermented dried yogurt. It is eaten together with rice or bulgur meal. A bulgur is usually whole grains that are par-boiled and eaten when dry.

Additional ingredients of this mainly Jordanian, Kuwaiti and Saudi mansaf meal include:

Spices like saffron
Condiments like gum arabic
Long grain rice
Olive oil

63. Jota

Jota is a bean and fermented shredded cabbage meal from Slovenia. It falls between a watery soup and a thick stew. Its main ingredients besides beans and saurkraut (fermented cabbage) include: diced potatoes, smoked pork ribs and a rock salt seasoning.

64. Juice Pops

Juice pops are pure fruit juices from oranges and other fruits infused into reliable pop freeze tubes. They also can contain blends of puree and juices to bring out more decadent flavors. They are favorites with, especially, children, who usually snap the enclosures carefully in two and enjoy the melting juice from either half of the sticks with a lot of glee!

65. Jumbo Pretzels

Made like twisting arms which was essentially the origin of the German word ‘pretzel,’ as borrowed from the earlier Latin term, Jumbo Pretzels are simply big pretzels. They are snacks made by baking dough from wheat flour that has been immersed in an alkaline salt solution. It is then sprinkled with a pinch of Kosher salt and is often flavored. The reason for the alkaline dip is to keep down the dough from rising and hence the consistent chewy texture of this intestine-shaped baked good.

Beverages that start with J

This is an excellent choice of beverages that begin with the letter J. With all these options, you’ll have no reason not to have fun whether it’s beverage breaks at work or at parties!

66. Jager

A sweetened alcoholic drink made with tens of herbs and famous for being under the shroud of secret ingredients, Jager is a beer, popular in Germany as Jagermeister. It was initiated in 1934, with an ABV level of 35 percent. The rest is a 56-herbs concoction. Some sources think Jager has cloves, anise and orange hints in it. Carbs in the flavored liquor include:

2.8 grams carbohydrates.
2.6 grams of sugar.
Less than 0.1 grams fats and proteins, apiece.

67. Jamba Juice

Synonymous with a popular juice deli in California, US, Jamba juice is a fruit juice and puree blend. It also contains fruit juice puree as separate from fruit puree. These are basically the natural sweetening agents of Jamba juice. You can also make your own at home, with little sugar or flavoring as all comes from the fruits’ pectin.

68. Jasmine Tea

Jasmine tea is made from either green or black tea leaves. Bearing the aromatic smell nuances of jasmine and a similar flavor, this herbal brew has been associated with tonic effects: it brings clarity to thinking, boosts your mood and keeps you calm. This is as much a result of the camellia sinensis compound in the tea as it is for the pleasant scent of the beverage.

69. Java

Java is the simplest word for coffee that you can find anywhere. Indeed, the island of Indonesia for which it is named was once such a coffee beans producer par excellence that the name stuck to simply mean ‘coffee.’ There are also brands that use this name for their coffee beans and other unrelated products.

Real Java coffee is made from the Arabica variety of coffee and is mostly associated with the Latin America variant. It is known for its strong flavor and as a plant, for its resilience against diseases.

70. Juice

A magical word whose very sound stems thirst, juice is the pressed, often pectin-rich, watery content of fruits. It also comes from extraction of fruits from vegetables. The most common sources of fruit juice include orange, lemon grape, pineapple and mango, among others. Most juices are rich in two key vitamins: