Portuguese Vocabulary Flashcards: Vegetables, Herbs, Nuts & more

This Portuguese lesson has over 65 words to turn your kitchen and your fridge into an immersive experience to learn Portuguese. These Portuguese vocabulary flashcards have vegetables, herbs, nuts, grains, and legumes.

Here is my suggestion: Label all you can in your kitchen in Portuguese. Each time you use these ingredients, say the name out loud. This is a great way to memorize vocabulary using different senses, such as touch, smell, and taste.

You can easily get labels or post-it notes to get started turning your kitchen into a language-learning experience. You can even use blank paper, scissors, and tape, to create your own labeling system.

Brazilian Idiomatic Expression: Pra Chuchu

Chuchu (pronounced shoo-shoo) means chayote. It is very common in Brazilian cuisine and is consumed in stews, soups, soufflés, and more.

Although chayote is a fruit, it is mostly used as a vegetable in Brazilian cuisine.

Chayote can be found all over Brazil. It is rich in fiber and low in calories, and has diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties.

In Brazil we have the colloquial expression pra chuchu, which means “a lot”, “very”. It is used to express a large quantity or intensity. It is said that the expression was created because chayote grows abundantly almost anywhere in Brazil.

Here are examples using this Brazilian idiomatic expression:

• Eu como verduras pra chuchu. E você? = I eat a lot of vegetables. And you?
• Estudei pra chuchu para a prova. = I studied a lot for the test.
• Tinha gente pra chuchu na festa. = There was a whole lot of people at the party.
• A festa foi boa pra chuchu. = The party was great.
• Está quente pra chuchu hoje. = It is really hot today.

Renata, who used to teach Portuguese with Street Smart Brazil, told me about her grandma’s tea recipe using chuchu: Infuse the chayote leaves or the fruit for a few minutes and drink it. She believed that it could help in the treatment of high blood pressure and kidney stones. Please have in mind that this is only a family tea recipe. It is not medical advice. For a recipe of chayote with egg and cheese click here.

65+ Portuguese Vocabulary Flashcards: Vegetables, Herbs, Nuts, Grains, and Legumes in Portuguese

Below is a list with vegetables, herbs, nuts, grains, and legumes in Portuguese. After the list you will find the flashcards.

I hope you like it pra chuchu!

Vegetables in Portuguese

1. a abóbora = pumpkin
2. a abobrinha = zucchini, courgette
3. o aipo = celery
4. a alcachofra = artichoke
5. a alface = lettuce
6. o alho = garlic
7. o aspargo – asparagus
8. a batata = potato
9. a batata doce = sweet potato
10. a berinjela = eggplant
11. a beterraba = beet
12. os brócolis = broccoli (In Portuguese, it’s always in the plural)
13. a cebola = onion
14. a cenoura = carrot
15. o chuchu = chayote, chow-chow
16. a couve = collard greens
17. a couve-flor = cauliflower
18. o cogumelo = mushroom
19. o espinafre = spinach
20. o nabo = turnip
21. o palmito = heart of palm
22. o pepino = cucumber
23. o pimentão = bell pepper
24. o quiabo = okra
25. o rabanete = radish
26. o repolho = cabbage
27.  a rúcula = arugula, rocket
28. a salada = salad
29. o tomate = tomato – yes, it’s a fruit, but we use it as a vegetable 😉
30. a vagem = green beans

Herbs & Seasoning in Portuguese

1. o alecrim = rosemary
2. a alcaparra = capers
3. o azeite = olive oil
4. a canela = cinnamon
5. o coentro = cilantro
6. o cominho = cumin
7. as ervas = herbs
8. o gengibre = ginger
9. a hortelã = mint, peppermint
10. o orégano = organo
11. a paprika = paprika
12. a pimenta = pepper
13. a pimenta-do-reino = black pepper
14. a pimenta-malagueta =  red pepper, very hot Brazilian pepper
15. a salsinha = parsley

Nuts in Portuguese

1. a amêndoa = almond
2. o amendoim = peanut (yes, it is a legume, but we eat it as nuts, don’t we?)
3. a castanha-do-pará = Brazil nut
4. a noz, as nozes = walnut
5. a noz-pecã = pecan
6. o pistácio, o pistache = pistachio

For the record, I am crazy about nuts ♥

Grains in Portuguese

1. o amaranto = amaranth
2. o arroz = rice
3. o arroz integral = brown rice
4. a aveia = oats
5. o centeio – rye
6. a cevada = barley
7. o milho = corn
8. a quinoa = quinoa
9. o trigo = wheat

Legumes in Portuguese

1. a ervilha = pea (I have memories of my dad cooking rice with peas – his specialty)
2. a fava = fava bean
3. o feijão = bean
4. o feijão-frade, o jeijão-fradinho = black-eyed pea
5. o feijão preto = black beans
6. o grão-de-bico = chick pea, garbanzo beans (eu adoro ♥)
7. a lentilha = lentil (também adoro 😊)
8. a soja, o feijão de soja = soybean

Here are the flashcards

Tip to use these flashcards: Click the drop down menu at the bottom to choose different ways to use the flaschards.

More Food and Kitchen Vocabulary in Portuguese

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To use your new vocabulary correctly you need lots of practice. There’s only so much that apps, books, and videos can do for your Portuguese. You need to have real conversations with real people in order to take your fluency to the next level.

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This Portuguese lesson was originally posted in 2011. It has been updated and republished.