New to Chowhound? You can mash jicama like a potato. The skin of jicama is dry and thin. With that said, even though these Jicama Wraps look really thin and they're made solely out of a vegetable, they were fantastic! IS JICAMA A FRUIT OR A VEGETABLE? About 5 grams of fiber (that’s 20% of your daily recommended intake!). The best way is to smell and look at the jicama: discard any jicama that has an off smell or appearance; if mold appears, discard the Jicama. Reply. What does jicama taste like? Fresh jicama is used much like a vegetable and is an important starch source in much of Central America. Here are the simple facts about its nutrition. Does it taste like a potato? Jicama is native to the tropical regions of Central and South America. The vines produce flowers that can be blue or white. Jicama, a tan, brown or gray root vegetable that looks somewhat like a turnip or large radish, may not yet have caught your eye in the produce section, but it definitely deserves a second (and third) look. And What Does It Taste Like? Marie Flint (author) from Jacksonville, FL USA on January 12, 2014: Hi, Jodah! Reply. That makes jicama a root vegetable. It really did taste like an apple with a much more mellow and neutral flavor. Jicama can be combined with other vegetables in stir-fries or added to savory soups or stewed with meat and poultry. Log In Sign Up. The texture of jicama is crisp and crunchy, similar to a potato, apple, or pear. Jicama is a vegetable not a fruit. that jicima in the picture looks like a loaf of bread lol. If you haven’t been formally introduced to the whole vegetable, you probably don’t know what you are looking for. All of the parts of the plant above ground including the stems, leaves, flowers, pods and seeds are poisonous. May Boost Heart Health. Jicama and other crunchy vegetables like carrots and radishes make for a lighter version of other slaws, ideal for a side or a light lunch or dinner. Jicama can be intimidating. Simply pierce the whole, washed jicama with a fork and bake it at about 375 degrees until softened, approximately 45 minutes. Serve it, sliced open, with butter, sour cream and chives. The upper parts of the plants are large vines that can grow from 15 to 20 feet in length. Wizard 7 years ago . Warnings . Jicama is frequently used raw, but it can be cooked, too -- think stir-fried or sautéed. In the Southwestern state that I call home, jicama is a very common food. Sweet and Hot Roasted Jicama. Makes the skin look healthier and fresh, thanks to the vitamins B and C, Jicama’s help your skin look younger and fresh. Here are some ideas for putting your jicama to good use. Native Range. In hot, sultry summer regions like Florida, jicama is one of the few vegetable crops that tolerates the blistering sun and daily deluges of thunderstorm rains in the garden that forms large tubers in autumn and early winter. Does jicama turn brown after peeling? Eating Jicama can make your hair look shinnier. The taste is best described as a cross between a water chestnut and an apple. What Does Jicama Look Like? How to tell if jicama is bad or spoiled? Reply. Try this recipe. Jicama Rice. If you’ve never had jicama, it’s got an interesting texture that’s like that of a crispy apple but neutral in flavor. Unlike with a potato, the skin is pretty easy to peel off. You want to … A bulb may weigh one or two pounds and has a rough 'n' tough brown … And once you do know the tuber’s form, they can be quite large, with bark-like skin — perhaps even a little ominous. Photo courtesy: Rex roof: Raw jicama has sweet, succulent apple like fruity taste. It is delicious raw and makes a crunchy, flavorful addition to salads. If you’re looking for jicama recipes, you’ve come to the right place. But they are the good carbs in the form of dietary fiber. Eat it raw with salsa or your favorite dip, bake it like a not-so-starchy potato or add it to stir-fries for a little crunch. All of them are often referred to as yam beans, which makes sense when you consider that the roots look like yams and the plant is in the bean family. The texture is crisp, juicy, and crunchy. Specifically, the edible portion of the jicama plant is the root. Jicama is a squat, knobby, earth-colored root vegetable that resembles a turnip with an apple-like, nutty flavor. Quick pickle jicama … And the jicama taste is light and refreshing… almost like a mild fruit flavor. [What Are Root Vegetables?] How to Choose Jicama Jicama, like other root vegetables, is a relatively high-fiber and low-carb vegetable. Pachyrhizus erosus, commonly known as jícama (/ ˈ h ɪ k ə m ə / or / dʒ ɪ ˈ k ɑː m ə /; Spanish jícama (); from Nahuatl xīcamatl, [ʃiːˈkamatɬ]), Mexican yam bean, or Mexican turnip, is the name of a native Mexican vine, although the name most commonly refers to the plant's edible tuberous root.Jícama is a species in the genus Pachyrhizus in the bean family (Fabaceae). Jicama is a good source of antioxidants like vitamin C. Diets high in these compounds have been linked to a lower risk of certain chronic diseases. Excellent Hair moisturizer, the same way the high content of water in Jicamas moisturizes the skin, it also does with your hair. Unlike a baked potato, though, its skin is fibrous and not especially palatable. The jicama looks more like a light coloured turnip. Looking for a reason to whip out your food processor? Vegetarian Taco Salad. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/jicama-slaw-recipe-1950471 The jicama root grows tubers like potatoes. Jicama is relative of the potato family and looks similar to a turnip or a large radish. What Does Jicama Taste Like? Pachyrrhizus erosus is the most common variety although Pachyrhizus tuberosus and Pachyrhizus ahipa are also cultivated for their roots. Allow one or two flowers to form ripe seed pods so you have fresh seeds to sow next year. p.s. Detoxinista. But the taste of jicama is described … I’ve sliced it into salads and even slow cooked it until it took on the resemblance of home fries. And, like the tofu of the vegetable world, it soaks up sauces like a champ. The jicama is a "light" sweet and, unlike the sweet potato or yam, is fairly juicy. It looks like a cross between an apple and a turnip. When mature, jicama flesh is crisp, succulent and starchy-sweet. The flavor is sweet and starchy. Jícama, (Pachyrhizus erosus), also called yam bean, leguminous vine of the pea family (), grown for its edible tubers.Jícama is native to Mexico and Central and South America and is an important local food crop. It’s easy to forget how juicy, crunchy, and downright exciting they are. Jicama can be baked just like a potato. dragonmamma 12 years ago . Newbie 12 years ago . JICAMA'S SKIN IS ROUGH & BROWN The jicama root is large and bulbous. It looks much like a turnip but has a taste and feel closer to an apple. Look no further than jicama rice, a sweeter version of your standard white rice. Jicama is actually high in carbohydrates. Sign up to discover your next favorite restaurant, recipe, or cookbook in the largest community of knowledgeable food enthusiasts. But don’t eat them! Inside, it looks like a potato, is crispy and juicy like a firm pear, but it tastes sweet and starchy like an apple. This tuber is different from the sweet potato, which, as I recall is a pale yellow? 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