This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Food is both exciting and delicious. To celebrate the love of food, we’ve compiled a list of 28 foods that start with the letter I. How many have you tried?
My daughter has show and tell every week at her daycare where each student brings in something that starts with a particular letter, such as the letter “I”. She always likes to bring something from her play kitchen and we often find ourselves completely stumped on what she should take that starts with that weeks letter.
I figured that I would put together a list of the foods that we’ve come up with that start with the letter I. Hopefully this is helpful for you :)
Below is a compiled list of 28 foods that start with the letter I, along with a short description of them. Is there anything missing from the list that I should add? Leave a comment with what I missed and I’ll be sure to give you credit in the blog post for coming up with it!
- Icaco
Icaco, also called a cocoplum or paradise plum, is a fruit found throughout tropical regions in Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, and parts of Florida and the Bahamas. This mildly sweet plum has almost no taste. However, it does provide health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart attack and improving skin health.
- Ice Cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert food made from dairy or dairy alternatives mixed with sugar and flavors. Frozen ice cream can be purchased at stores and ice cream parlors. Soft serve ice cream is a popular treat served by many fast food establishments. The most popular flavors of ice cream are vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. - Ice Cream Cake
Instead of choosing between cake and ice cream, ice cream cake allows you to have both! This frozen dessert has layers of cake, ice cream, and other toppings such as cookie crumbles or whipped cream. It is a popular dessert item for birthdays and other celebrations. - Ice Cream Soda
Ice cream soda is a chilled beverage that combines ice cream with a soft drink. Alternatively, it may combine the ice cream with carbonated water and flavored syrup. One of the most common ice cream soda drinks is a root beer float, which combines vanilla ice cream with root beer. - Ice Plant
Ice plant is a salad green from the coastal regions of South Africa. It is made up of primarily water, making it a great low calorie food. This salad green is full of vitamins A, B, and C, as well as mineral salts. Juice from this plant has antiseptic properties when applied topically for infections. - Ice Pop
An ice pop is a frozen treat on a stick. The mixtures used to create these pops are frozen solid and consumed in their hardened state. They usually have a stick handle, although they can also come in plastic tubes. Ice pop flavors include coconut, lime, banana, and many other fruit flavors. - Iceberg Lettuce
Iceberg lettuce is also known as crisphead lettuce. This green vegetable has pale green leaves and grows in bulbs (similar to cabbage). Iceberg lettuce is popular for salads and sandwiches because of its crunchy texture and mild, sweet flavor.
- Iced Coffee
Iced coffee combines chilled coffee and other ingredients such as milk and flavoring. It can be prepared by brewing coffee hot and pouring it over ice and cold milk or by using a cold brewing method. Variations of iced coffee include iced mocha and iced lattes, which combine different ingredients to reach the desired effect.
- Iced Tea
Iced tea is a staple for many southern Americans. This tea can be served sweet or unsweetened and mixed with a variety of fruit ingredients or served plain over ice. Sun tea, a popular variation of iced tea, is brewed in the sun and retains plenty of flavor when diluted with ice. Unlike other brewing methods, sun tea provides a strong tea flavor without the typical bitterness of black tea. - Icee
Icee is a brand name for a frozen carbonated beverage. This sweet drink comes in a variety of flavors: cherry, mango, blue raspberry, coke, and more. The combination of carbonation and sweet flavoring gives Icee a unique taste and texture compared to other frozen fruit beverages. - Ichi Roll
An ichi roll is a sushi roll that combines sticky rice and a soybean wrap with baked eel. When cut, this sushi roll is often topped with chopped, baked scal. The popularity of this sushi dish inspires the name of many American sushi restaurants, which take their names from this iconic dish.
- Icing
Icing is a spread often added to the tops of cakes and other desserts. It is thinner than frosting, but not as thin as a glaze. Icing typically combines powdered sugar with water, milk or juice. It is either spread or drizzled on top of desserts like donuts, cakes, and other pastries. - Idaho Spud
An Idaho Spud is not a potato, but a candy bar! This candy bar, created by the Idaho Candy Company, has been an iconic taste of Idaho for just over a century. The soft marshmallow center is drenched with dark chocolate and sprinkled with coconut. - Idaho Potato
- Idli
An idli is a savory rice cake from India that has become a popular breakfast food in both India and Sri Lanka. Fermented black lentils and rice make up a batter. This batter is steamed and served hot with a condiment like sambar (a lentil-based stew) or chutney. - Ilama
The ilama is a tropical fruit typically found in Central America. The fruit is cut in half and the inner flesh is removed from the rind. Ilama comes in green and pink varieties, with the green version having a sweet taste while the pink version is tart. This fruit is usually served chilled, and can be combined with cream and sugar. Alternatively, a drop of lime or lemon can be added to bring out the tart taste of pink ilamas. - Inca Berries
Inca berries, also known as golden berries or Peruvian groundcherry, are a juicy berry belonging to the nightshade family. Some compare their taste to sour skittles because of their sweet and sour flavor. They can be eaten plain as a snack or added to jams, desserts, or meals. - Indian Corn
Indian corn, also known as maize, is a cereal grain with a leafy plant stalk and ears full of edible kernels. Unlike other corn varieties, Indian corn is not as sweet. It is more often used to create flour or cornmeal. It can also be used to create popcorn. - Indian Curry
There are many kinds of Indian curry dishes. Curry is used as a seasoning for many Indian dishes, such as bhuna, pasanda, rogan Josh, tandoori, tikka masala, jalfrezi, and more. Red, green, and yellow curry are used to create both mild and spicy Indian meals. - Instant Coffee
Instant coffee combines coffee crystal and coffee powder to make a coffee drink. It is created so that people can add it to hot water or milk for a quick coffee beverage. This soluble mixture dissolves completely when mixed with hot liquid. Instant coffee can also be added to pastries to offer a coffee flavored alternative (such as coffee-flavored brownies).
- Instant Noodles
Instant noodles are precooked noodles formed into a dried block. They are often combined with flavoring powder or a seasoning oil to create a ramen dish. Top Ramen, Cup O Noodles, and other brands have popularized instant noodles in the United States. - Instant Oatmeal
Instant oatmeal, also called quick oats, are precooked and dried. After it dries, it is rolled and pressed thin so it can be quickly prepared with hot water or milk. It is more processed than steel-cut and rolled oats, which must be cooked fully at home. - Iodized Salt
Iodized salt is salt that contains small amounts of sodium iodide or potassium iodide. This salt has been sprayed with the potassium iodide solution to provide additional iodine to the American diet. However, most people living in the United States get enough iodine, even if they don’t regularly consume iodized salt. - Irish Cream
Irish cream is a liquor that combines Irish whiskey, cream and other flavors. It can be served on its own or in mixed drinks such as Irish coffee. Although it holds the Irish name, this beverage is most popular in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. - Irish Stew
Irish stew combines lamb, potatoes, carrots, onions and parsley. It is called Irish stew because of its roots in Ireland. However, it has been a popular dish in countries across Europe. Americanized versions of this stew replace lamb with beef. - Italian Ice
Italian ice is a frozen or semi-frozen dessert made with fruit and other flavorings. It is similar to sorbet and snow cones, but does not contain any dairy or egg ingredients. Italian ice comes in a variety of flavors. Popular flavors are lemon, cherry, orange, mango, strawberry, and blackberry. - Italian Sausage
Italian sausage is sausage that is typically seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, fennel seed, and anise seed. Other sausages are often seasoned with salt, pepper, and sage. This difference often makes Italian sausage a slightly spicier alternative to traditional sausage’s sweetness. Italian sausage can be served alone or as an addition to other recipes. - Italian Wedding Soup
Italian wedding soup is a soup with green vegetables and meat. Although it carries the name “Italian,” this soup has been popularized by its production in American Italian restaurants. Other ingredients may include carrots, onions, celery, and eggs.
