Pulling data from other tabs.

Is there a way to pull data from another tab, by simply writing a search word?
Example.. If I have a tab of values, x value 1, y value 2 etc..
Can I access those values in another tab with a formula based on "x" or "y" instead of the specific cell?
I'm making a spreadsheet of caloric content in different foods, to use when calculating the total caloric content of certain dishes, and it would be easier to just write "Sugar" and it automagically fills out the caloric content pr/100 g, instead of having to look it up every time.