Jicama (HEE-kah-mah) is a tasty root vegetable that is often referred to as the Mexican potato. This large, bulbous root vegetable has a thin brown skin and white crunchy flesh. Its sweet, nutty flavor is good raw or cooked.
In Mexico, one of the countries that grows a lot of jicama, a favorite margarita accompaniment is made with sliced jicama fingers sprinkled with lime juice, salt and chili powder, writes Elizabeth Schneider in "Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables: a Commonsense Guide."
- Jicama is available most of the year in supermarkets and is usually stocked from November to May in ethnic markets.
- Selection and storage: Buy young-looking jicama with smooth, blemish-free skins, although a patchy color is fine.
You can store whole jicama in the refrigerator crisper bin for up to three weeks. Cut jicama should be used within a week but can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated to keep it fresh.
- Preparation: Jicama should be peeled before using: Cut the root into quarters or manageable pieces. Use a paring knife (a vegetable peeler does a poor job) to remove the peel and the fibrous under layer. Then, slice it, dice it, shred it or cut it into rounds.
Raw jicama is good in both fruit and vegetable salads or sliced thinly on sandwiches. Try chilling it, then sprinkling chili powder and lime juice on it.
In marinated salads, jicama keeps its firmness while still absorbing flavorful spices.
Even in cooked dishes such as quick stir-fries, jicama retains its crisp, water chestnut-type texture. It also can be boiled and mashed like a potato, sauteed or used in soups or stews. Add it to soups near the end of cooking so it retains its texture.