Taking a break from the serious, informational posts for a bit to explore a lesser known and delicious veggie: Jicama!
Pronounced with an “h” sound, “hicama.”
Jicama is also known as the “Mexican yam” or “Mexican turnip.” And to borrow directly from Wikipedia:
“The root’s exterior is yellow and papery, while its inside is creamy white with a crisp texture that resembles raw potato or pear. The flavor is sweet and starchy, reminiscent of some apple or raw green beans, and it is usually eaten raw, sometimes with salt, lemon or lime juice and chili powder. It is also cooked in soups and stir-fried dishes.
Jícama is often paired with chili powder, cilantro, ginger, lemon, lime, oranges, red onion, salsa, sesame oil, grilled fish and soy sauce. It can be cut into thin wedges and dipped in salsa. In Mexico, it is popular in salads, fresh fruit combos, fruit bars, soups, and other cooked dishes.”
You might have seen jicama on some restaurant menus included in a slaw-type side dish, or stir-fried with some veggies. My favorite local Mexican restaurant includes jicama in their sauteed mixed vegetable side dish with yellow squash, zuchinni & onions. (I love that I can order this instead of rice and beans!)
Chile Rellano from Amigo’s Cantina with Veggies
I also really like to cut up jicama and just snack on it. Very crunchy and a nice alternative to carrots and celery. High in fiber, Vitamin C, A, B, calcium and phosphorus.
Jicama dusted with chili powder (image from gourmet-galley.com)
My advice would be to pick up some of the round potato looking root veggies, peel them and chop them. Sprinkle them with lime juice and seasoning, add them to a veggie tray, saute them lightly, or substitute them for a potato. Experiment! See what happens.
Some other recipes to experiment with Jicama:
- Jicama “Potato” Salad featured in Shape magazine, recipe by Melissa Joulwan of The Clothes Make The Girl/Well Fed
- Tacos with Jicama Shells from The Food Lover’s Kitchen
- Jicama Fries with Ketchup from B-eing Paleofabulous
- Jicama, Pear & Mint Salad with Citrus-Ginger Dressing from Auto-Immune Paleo
- Strawberry Mango Jicama Salad from Two Peas & Their Pod
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