20 Delectable Meals Beginning with the Letter O!

The letter O is up next in our alphabet food series!

We’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular dishes that begin with the letter O. We’ve gathered all the greatest O meals in one spot, from basic components like olive oil and oregano to those that may be unfamiliar to you, like ogbono soup and opera cake.

With that, we hope you’ll grab a warm cup of oolong tea or a soothing oat milk latte and join us as we discover all about these amazing foods that begin with the letter O.

20 Foods That Start With the Letter O

1. Oat Milk

Oat milk is a creamy plant milk created by combining oats and water and filtering off the particles. The end product is a pale-colored beverage with a beautifully creamy mouthfeel that does not include any dairy components! Several oat milks are gently sweetened or have flavorings like vanilla added. Oat milk is also a popular coffee drink ingredient because of its creamy texture, which makes it a good alternative for conventional milk in lattes and other barista-crafted beverages.

Although oat milk has less fat than other plant-based milks such as coconut milk, it contains more carbs and is towards the top of the calorie list. Oat milk is a terrific choice for anybody who wishes to eat plant-based but has allergies such as nut or soy allergies that prevent them from enjoying almond or soy milk.

2. Oats

Let’s talk about the small grains that go into making such a tasty and flexible dairy replacement, oat milk! Beyond oat milk, oats may be used whole in baking, ground into flour, or boiled in water to make everyone’s favorite stick-to-your-ribs breakfast: oatmeal!

There are several varieties of hulled oats, each with its own processing method. Whole grain oats, also known as groats, are the least processed and retain all portions of the grain except the hull. Since they have been pre-steamed and then rolled flat, rolled oats are significantly simpler to prepare and may be used in any recipe or as a cereal on their own.

Oat flour is derived from whole oats and is an excellent substitute for wheat flour. But, it cannot raise the end product on its own. As a result, it works best in recipes that call for baking powder or baking soda as a leavening ingredient.

3. Octopus

When properly cooked, the eight-tentacled marine creature octopus is a healthy and tasty source of food! Octopus requires some effort to perfect, but the rewards are definitely worth it.

Fresh octopus is rare to be found in most stores or seafood counters, which is OK! In comparison to most other meats and seafood, frozen octopus has a superior texture than fresh. Frozen octopus will also arrive to you pre-cleaned, so you won’t have to bother about removing the sharp beak or possibly messy ink bag. You can also find octopus tentacles, which allow you to prepare a smaller and more manageable quantity of octopus rather than the whole thing.

It is recommended to cook octopus in a long, slow simmer in water or broth. If you cook it too rapidly, the flesh will become quite rubbery. Once tender, the octopus may be cooked in a variety of ways, including fried, roasted, or char-grilled.

4. Offal

By definition, offal refers to any material that is a waste product or consequence of another operation. Offal is often used in the culinary world to refer to organ meats or any other non-muscular (but totally delicious!) flesh of an animal. Offal includes, but is not limited to, the following: liver, heart, kidneys, sweetbreads, tripe, and tongue.

Several of these components are repulsive to most people, which is understandable given that these tissues have a greater fragrance, taste, and texture when compared to an animal’s muscular flesh. Using offal, on the other hand, is a significant strategy to enhance sustainability and decrease food waste. If offal isn’t your thing, try preparing it as a treat for your four-legged friends! Organ meats are high in nutrients that may help dogs as well.

5. Ogbono Soup

Ogbono soup is a typical Nigerian speciality food. Ogbono is the name of a variety of wild mango, but it is not the fruit that spices this soup! Instead, crushed ogbono seeds are added as a thickening, making this soup extremely substantial and more like a stew than a soup.

Ogbono soup is usually made with meat, such as goat or fish, and leafy vegetables, such as kale or collard greens. The stew has a powerful taste owing to loads of chilies and onions, and palm oil is a requirement!

6. Oils

It’s simply mind-boggling how many different kinds of cooking oil are available. Most plant-based oils, such as extra virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, nut oils, and maize oil, are liquid at room temperature. Nevertheless, other oils, such as coconut oil, solidify at room temperature, giving them the feel of cold butter rather than cooking oil.

One of the most significant factors to consider when choosing an oil for cooking is how hot the oil will get. If you want to use the oil to sear steak or fry potatoes, these are high-temperature applications, and the oil you pick must have a high smoke point, which means it can get extremely hot before burning. Grapeseed oil and peanut oil have very high smoke points.

If the meal is to be cooked at a low temperature or not cooked at all, use an oil with a lower smoke point, such as olive oil or toasted sesame oil.

7. Okra

Okra, which resembles little, thin green peppers, is really a fruit with numerous distinct features of its own! Despite their seediness, okra pods are completely edible—skin, seeds, and all! Okra has a grassy, bright taste that is similar to that of green beans and asparagus, but with its own flavor subtleties.

One slice into an okra pod and the fruit will begin to exude mucilage, a thick, slimy material that occurs naturally in most plants but is abundant in certain, such as okra. Its texture causes some people to dislike okra more than others, since it creates a distinct mouth sensation. Not to worry, the slipperiness fades after cooking, particularly if the okra is pickled or deep fried, both of which are popular and delicious ways to enjoy this Southern classic!

8. Okroshka

Alternatively, chives. Okroshka is a chilly soup that is quite popular in Russian cuisine, particularly during the summer months! The recipe calls for diced boiling potatoes, diced cooked meat like ham or veal, chopped boiled eggs, and a variety of fresh vegetables such spring onions, cucumbers, and radishes. The components are combined with stock or water, kvass (a fermented rye bread beverage), vinegar, and sour cream. The end product is a creamy, cold, and substantial soup that is often served with fresh herbs such as dill and parsley.

9. Olives

Olives, like peaches and plums, are a kind of stone fruit with a single central pit. But, unlike their milder siblings, olives are much too bitter to consume fresh! They create a high quantity of bitter taste chemicals to deter creatures and bugs searching for a snack. Yet, early people learned that brining the fruits of the olive trees or curing them in salt made the olives digestible and tasty!

Whenever you stroll by the olive bar in a grocery store or deli, you will notice that there are many different sizes and colors of olives to select from. All olives start off green and mature to various hues of brown, purple, and even black. In addition to being popular in their entirety, a large portion of the olives grown globally are pressed into olive oil, which is one of the most popular culinary oils worldwide.

10. Onigiri

Despite its look and closeness to the term nigiri (a form of sushi), onigiri is not a type of sushi. Onigiri is a Japanese meal made of rice balls or patties that are typically filled with various ingredients and flavorings before being wrapped in seaweed paper.

The primary distinction between onigiri and sushi is that onigiri does not include fish, but seafood remains a key element in the majority of sushi dishes. Moreover, sushi is always cooked using a particular sort of seasoned sushi rice, while onigiri is produced with plain rice. The idea behind onigiri is to transform rice into a portable snack or meal—no bowl or chopsticks required!

11. Onions

Onions are a member of the allium family, which includes garlic, scallions, chives, and leeks. There are several onion types available, with a wide range of colors, forms, sizes, and tastes. Red onions are widely renowned for their vibrant purple skins and layers of meat, whilst sweet yellow onions stand out in both color and taste from Spanish white onions. Shallots are a form of onion that is distinguished by its oblong shape, violet tint, and sweeter taste when compared to onions.

Do you weep when you cut onions? There is no shame! Try lighting a candle or turning on a burner on your gas stove to help burn off some of those tear-inducing fumes.

12. Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is a very tasty tea with a broad range of strength and taste. Black tea is created from completely oxidized tea leaves, while green tea is made from less oxidized tea leaves. Everything in between is covered with oolong tea! This implies that your cup of oolong tea may have the same grassy taste and scent as a cup of hot green tea, or it may have more profound and tannic characteristics like black tea.

Drinking tea has several health advantages regardless of the extent of oxidation since tea leaves are inherently high in antioxidants. These small molecules have the potential to degrade free radicals, reducing cell damage and boosting the overall function of the body. We can get behind a cup of oolong tea every day!

13. Opera Cake

Opera cake is a typical French dessert that is very decadent! Layers of coffee syrup-soaked almond sponge cake and French buttercream with chocolate ganache sandwiched in the center make up this delectable delicacy. The ganache also acts as a mirror-like chocolate gloss on top of the cake. To end, the whole dessert is generally ornately embellished with molded chocolate embellishments on top, beautiful piping, or a shaved chocolate shower.

The cake is generally sliced into little rectangular pieces to give it a delicate look, but don’t be fooled! This is a delicious treat, and while most opera cakes have at least six layers, a little slice will suffice.

14. Oranges

Oranges are a meal that everyone is familiar with that begins with the letter O! While navel oranges and Valencia oranges are the most prevalent variations, there are a plethora of other orange species worth learning about. Other types with vivid orange pulp include Seville and lima oranges, while cara cara oranges have a pinkish color. Blood oranges, on the other hand, are strikingly scarlet inside and have a sweet and acidic flavor.

Oranges, regardless of hue, are high in vitamin C and may be eaten fresh, juiced, or cooked into a variety of sweet or savory meals.

15. Oregano

Originating from the Mediterranean, oregano is currently used all over the world and is an important flavoring component in Spanish and Italian cuisines in particular. It may surprise you to learn that oregano is a member of the mint family, similar to but distinct from the aromatic leaves of peppermint and spearmint plants.

The taste of fresh oregano may be harsh, even astringent. As a result, consuming it raw requires modest dosages and delicate slicing. Fortunately, oregano acquires a fantastic taste when cooked, releasing natural oils and scent throughout the meal. Oregano is significantly more hardy than other herbs, such as basil and parsley, which wilt quickly when exposed to heat. As a result, oregano is great for slow-cooked foods like stews, braises, and traditional tomato sauce.

16. Ossobuco

Ossobuco is a rich and substantial meal comprised of braised veal bones and delicious root vegetables slow cooked in a combination of white wine and dark veal stock. The word ossobuco literally translates to “bone with a hole,” referring to the look of cross-cut veal shanks that expose the bone marrow, allowing all of that richness to cook out and into the braising liquid.

It is critical to brown the meat before adding it to the broth when making any form of braised beef. This permits the surface of the meat to caramelize, creating a roasty-toasty rich taste that pervades the whole meal.

17. Oxtails

Oxtail is a very tasty cut of meat due to the unusual mix of fat, bone marrow, and gelatin-rich tissue. Originally, oxtail was exclusively the tail of male cattle, thus the name ox, but currently either male or female bovine tail meat is utilized.

Oxtail is most similar to short rib in terms of flavor and texture. The cooking techniques are also comparable, since both of these cuts function best in a low-and-slow braise atmosphere. Oxtail stew, also known as oxtail soup in certain countries, is possibly the most well-known usage of oxtail across the world. There are variations of this meal in many different cultures, and you may discover oxtail stew recipes from Spain, France, the Philippines, Jamaica, Africa, and beyond. What do they all have in common? Of course, there are beautifully braised oxtails and a plethora of robust vegetables.

18. Oyster Mushrooms

A cluster of oyster mushrooms is a sight to see! With wide, fan-shaped crowns of varying diameters extending from a central stem, it’s easy to understand why they’re named after a specific mollusk, since they have a very similar form. Oyster mushrooms are most typically seen in gray to brown colours. Blue oyster mushrooms have a subtle blue tint to their gray crowns, golden oyster mushrooms are bright yellow, and pink oyster mushrooms are a vibrant coral pink!

Although oyster mushrooms may be eaten raw, they are normally tastiest when cooked. They are best when gently pan-seared in olive oil, and adding fresh herbs like thyme or marjoram is a particularly delightful combination.

19. Oyster Sauce

Oyster sauce, which is unrelated to our new acquaintance, the oyster mushroom, is an umami-packed, beautifully colored condiment that is a certain method to amp up the taste in any meal. You may mistake oyster sauce for soy sauce based on looks alone, but one taste or scent will convince you that this is a whole distinct beast. Although it may not taste exactly like oysters, it is redolent of the sea and adds a rich, briny flavor to any meal.

Oyster sauce is mostly made of caramelized oyster liquid, with a few extra components like cornstarch (for thickness), sugar, and salt thrown in for good measure. This condiment is frequently used in Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisines, to mention a few. Several saucy foods, such as chow mein, cashew chicken, and lo mein, include oyster sauce as a primary component and seasoning.

20. Oysters

While we’re here, let’s get to know the small bivalves who provide us with oyster sauce! Oysters are a kind of shellfish that comes in a variety of varieties. Oysters are also known as the creators of a special jewel, the pearl! Surprisingly, the oysters we eat are not the same as the oysters that generate gemstone-quality pearls. Although edible oysters do sometimes create pearls, they are not as bright and gorgeous as real pearls and hence have no value.

Preparing oysters, whether frying, stuffing and broiling, or creating soup, is always a fantastic alternative. The fact is that oysters are most usually consumed raw. Oysters are often served on the half shell with a range of accompaniments, ranging from fresh lemon juice and spicy sauce to mignonette and fresh herbs.

Final Thoughts on Foods That Start With the Letter O

There you have it, a long list of meals that begin with the letter O! Although it would be difficult to sample every dish on the earth (an amazing aim! ), being made aware of new foods and products may easily encourage you to broaden your palette and culinary talents.

If you’ve never attempted braising before, pick yourself some oxtails (an amazingly inexpensive piece of beef to start with!) and try out a basic stew recipe. Instead, choose a new cooking oil and prepare a national meal from a country whose cuisine you have never experienced. Try shucking some oysters or tossing sliced blood oranges in your lunchbox instead of your usual Valencia.

Food is intended to be cherished, savored, and shared, and we hope you enjoy some of these meals that begin with O!