How many vegetables do you know that start with the Z letter? Indeed, only a few.
We tried to impress you and collect as many vegetables starting with this letter as possible in one place.
Considering that it is few, we present you with the ultimate list and suggestions of recipes you can easily and quickly prepare.
They are incredibly healthy and provide the body with plenty of vitamins and minerals.
Vegetables That Start With Z – Ultimate List
Zebra eggplant
Zebra eggplant is a type of eggplant. It has dark purple bark and stripes on it.
It comes from India and China and has a slightly sweeter taste than other types of eggplant.
Zebra eggplant can be consumed raw, cooked, fried, or as an addition to cooked dishes or soups.
This unique variety can be prepared according to traditional African recipes.
It can also be grilled and stewed with other types of vegetables.
The leaves are also edible and very healthy. They contain iron, vitamin C and calcium.
They can be steamed or fried with onion, garlic, mushrooms, or pepper and served as a side dish with rice, yam, or couscous.
Is the skin of zebra eggplant edible?
Yes, it is. Their skin is thin and the seeds are delicious too. Its delicate skin and tiny seeds make it ideal for roasting whole, in the oven, or on the grill.
Does cooking eggplant remove solanine?
Solanine is an ingredient in eggplant that gives it a slightly bitter taste. Unfortunately, cooking or baking will not wholly remove it.
Solanine can be removed by cutting the eggplant into slices, adding salt and letting it stand for about half an hour so that all the toxins come out.
After that, the eggplant can be prepared.
Recepies with Zebra eggplant
Grilled eggplant
The simplest and easiest recipes for preparing eggplant include using grilled eggplant.
Namely, it is an excellent accompaniment to meat or fish and suitable for creating appetizers and side dishes.
You can, for example, make stuffed balls from the grilled eggplant that will serve as an appetizer, add ricotta or cheese for spreading, or cured meat like cooked ham.
Close the bundle with a toothpick and that’s it.
With grilled eggplant, it is then possible to prepare a light version of “parmigiana”. Arrange a layer of eggplant, tomato sauce, and grated parmesan in a baking dish and bake in the oven.
You can add some mozzarella, to get a stretchy layer, which is rich in taste.
Light eggplant parmigiana can be served as a side or main dish with a fresh salad.
Baked eggplant
Another option for this dish is to put the eggplant slices in the oven. You can also season the eggplant slices baked at a low temperature, add tomato slices, mozzarella and basil.
Baked eggplant is delicious as a gratin. All that needs to be done is to cut the eggplant into a boat shape and sprinkle the surface with a mixture of breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, herbs and spices.
Turn on the grill, and you will have a vibrant side dish in no time. If you want, we recommend adding minced meat to the boats.
On the other hand, chicken or turkey is a good choice for a lighter version.
Fried eggplant
Eggplant and potatoes are the classics.
Most people usually prepare this side dish with lots of oil.
We advise you to choose a non-stick pan or wok instead. This way, you will avoid using extra oil.
Moreover, you can blanch the potatoes in water before putting them in the pan together with the peppers. It will cook faster and release a little moisture that allows the dish to be perfect and without oil,
Cooking in a non-stick pan with very little oil is an ideal eggplant recipe choice.
This robust vegetable side dish becomes that way, without frying, light and suitable for everyone. Even for those who have to watch their diet.
Grilled eggplant salad
This is a Georgian salad that has an exquisite taste. First, you have to grill pieces of eggplant. Then, add olive oil, balsamic dressing, red onion, walnuts and mint.
Caponata – Sicilian salad
Another salad, a salad with eggplant, will satisfy all your senses.
To prepare this salad, you need eggplant, tomato puree, onion, olives, celery, wine vinegar, capers, salt and basil.
Zucchini
Zucchini is oblong and can be yellow, green or striped.
Like melons and cucumbers, zucchini belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family.
The skin is also edible and can be prepared in countless ways.
Zucchini, like all squashes, originate from America, and humankind has been consuming them for over 10,000 years.
Today’s variety has been developed in Italy over the years.
Zucchini is low in calories and high in nutrients. It is an excellent food for weight loss because it fills the stomach and thus gives satiety.
They are an excellent source of vitamins B and C, manganese and potassium. At the same time, yellow zucchini are rich in beta-carotene.
Most valuable nutrients are in the skin, so do not peel them from young fruits.
Daily consumption of zucchini nourishes the body with dietary fiber, which stimulates digestion, prevents constipation and cleanses the intestines of toxins.
It reduces the likelihood of colon cancer, controls blood sugar and reduces appetite.
Compounds in zucchini protect the health of the cardiovascular system and lower cholesterol. Thanks to this, they reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.
Zucchini in world cuisine
Zucchini is a popular food all over the world.
In Italy, it is used to prepare bread, in Mexico, quesadillas, in France, ratatouille, in Turkey pancake, and Bulgaria, they are fried and served with yogurt.
The list is long, and the types of dishes you can prepare with it are countless.
In Europe, they are generally fried, in sauces, soups, stuffed, mixed with other vegetables or fresh cheese and in savory or sweet cakes.
You can add zucchini to a salad with cucumbers, and you won’t even notice the difference in taste.
You can make highly healthy spaghetti from them. Cut them into the thinnest noodles possible, salt them so that they release water, fry them and serve them with your favorite pasta sauce.
Apart from the fruits, you can eat the flowers of the zucchini.
Below, we offer suggestions for dishes with zucchini. They are so easy to prepare and you can make any dish you imagine with them.
Either sweet or salty.
Greek sauce with zucchini
You need Greek yogurt, garlic, grated zucchini, allspice, chopped mint and Himalayan salt for this sauce.
Combine all ingredients and then cool the sauce in the refrigerator. Serve with rice or pasta.
Zucchini salad
The ingredients for this delicious salad are chopped tomatoes, finely chopped basil leaves, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic and zucchini cut into thin noodles.
Mix all the listed ingredients and season as desired.
Zucchini with cheese and herbs
For this healthy meal, you need medium-sized zucchini, cream cheese, young cheese, chopped onion, herbs, olive oil, Himalayan salt, ground pepper, and breadcrumbs.
First, cut the zucchini in half and hollow it out.
Fill it with the mixture from the mentioned ingredients and roll it in breadcrumbs.
Grill covered for about fifteen minutes until golden brown.
In addition, you can bake in the oven wrapped in foil.
Zucchini pate
You can prepare this healthy spread very quickly and easily.
You need zucchini, onion, garlic, olive oil, a little sour cream, salt, pepper and lemon juice for the spread.
It is prepared by grating the zucchini and adding salt to release the water.
Fry black and garlic in olive oil, then add zucchini and parsley. After that, add sour cream and lemon juice.
When everything is simmered and the excess liquid disappears, move it to a blender. Mix, and your pate is ready.
If you have any leftovers, transfer them to a glass jar and store them in the refrigerator.
Zucchini bread
Zucchini bread may not sound delicious to some, but it definitely is. If you have yet to try it, we advise you to do so.
This bread is definitely for you if you keep a healthy life and take care of your weight.
Zucchini fries
This vegetable is perfect for snacking with your favorite series or game if you want a healthy version of French fries.
You need to cut it into strips and then fry it in oil. Then, bake these zucchini strips in the oven for an even healthier version without oil.
And at the end of our selection of recipes, a dessert. Outstanding!
Chocolate cake with zucchini
You can make this delicious dessert quickly and easily. Similar versions of this recipe you can find on the Internet.
Basically, you need grated zucchini, eggs, flour, cocoa and baking powder.
For the topping, sweet cream and dark chocolate would be perfect.
Zostera Marina
This is a plant with a very unusual and exotic name. It is also known under the name Eel plant.
Zostera Marina is a species of flowering seagrass. It can usually be found in marine environments on the coasts of North America and Eurasia. Usually, it can be found in colder ocean waters.
Although it is not used nowadays, in the past, Indians used the leaves of these plants during their feasts.
They often chew stalks because they contain juices.
The plant root is sweet and the vegetable that the Indians most often froze over the winter as food.
Zingiber Officinale
Zingiber Officinale is a herb that is known under the name Ginger.
Ginger is consumed worldwide as an addition to various culinary specialties.
Ginger came from India, where it has been cultivated for over 3,000 years.
The ancient Greeks and Romans added it to bread because of its benefits for better digestion.
This plant has numerous antidiabetic, antibacterial and anticancer properties.
Ginger fights against nausea and indigestion, so it is often used as a spice in salty and sweet desserts.
The part of the plant with a pleasant smell and a sharp, solid and spicy taste is a rhizome.
It’s that wonder ginger!
Modern medicine has joined this traditional and miracle-working plant. Ginger contains over 100 bioactive compounds, minerals, vitamins B6, B12, magnesium, sodium, calcium, iron and other elements.
It is used not only as a herb but also as a medicine and preventive agency to strengthen the body’s resistance.
It improves the effect of antibiotics and improves circulation. It does not contain toxic substances so it can be used daily.
Zingiber Cassumunar
Zingiber Cassumunar is a plant also known as “Plai (Phlai)” in Thailand, “Bangle” in Indonesia, and “Bulei” in China.
And this is one type of Ginger.
Traditionally, this plant has been used in medicine to treat inflammation, pain and respiratory problems.
The primary part of the plant is the rhizomes, which are used for medicinal purposes.
The golden yellow flesh inside the brown skin is dense and fibrous, suitable for chewing.
When eaten fresh, it releases a sweet, aromatic smell reminiscent of earthy, spicy aromas that are most similar to turmeric and camphor.
The rhizomes are also cultivated to extract essential oils on a smaller scale.
Zinzania latifolia
Zinzania latifollia is known as Manchurian wild rice. This plant is the only member of the wild rice genus native to Asia.
It is used as a food plant. Both the stem and the grain plant are edible.
In ancient China, the plant so collected was used as a beneficial grain.
Nowadays, its occurrence in the wild is rare, and its widespread use as grain has wholly disappeared in Asia.
Nowadays, Zinzania latifollia is grown as an agricultural crop throughout Asia. However, the plant is not grown for its grain but for its stems.
This vegetable is famous for its taste and delicate texture. And it can be eaten raw or cooked. It remains crispy even when fried.
Its taste is very reminiscent of young bamboo shoots.
The primary season for harvesting is between September and November, more precisely during the typhoon when other vegetables are unavailable.
This is precisely why it is trendy.
Final thoughts
This is our ultimate vegetable list that starts with the letter Z.
We gave you a list of recipes for commercial vegetables.
Other, less commercial suggestions people today do not use in the kitchen.
However, this knowledge can help you prove yourself in a competition or quiz as a vegetable specialist, starting with the Z letter.
Read also: Vegetables that start with W / Vegetables that start with Y
