We always have one or two of these bulbous brown roots in our fridge when the temperature outside starts creeping up. They don't have to be cooked and their crisp, apple-like texture is a welcome addition to our salads. Do you like jicama too?
Ingredient Spotlight: Jicama
We used to have trouble finding jicamas, but most grocery stores now keep them regularly stocked along with their other South American and Latin fresh produce. They look somewhat like turnips in shape, but the skin is brown and papery. We like smaller tubers about the size of a fist the best. We find that they're sweeter and less starchy-tasting than larger roots.
To prepare a jicama, all you have to do is peel off the skin. The flesh inside is white and firm, and it can be sliced into cubes, sticks, or slivers. Trim off any brown spots before slicing, but there are no seeds or core to remove.
As we mentioned, we love adding jicama to salads. It adds a refreshing crunch and a subtly-sweet flavor that's similar to cucumber. Diced into small cubes, we can add jicama to homemade salsas. Larger sticks of jicama and a bowl of dip also make an excellent snack. We have even added cubes of jicama to quick stir-fries as a substitute for water chestnuts.
What are your favorite ways to use jicama?
Related: Cooking by Feel: Latin American Flavors and Ingredients
(Images: Emma Christensen for the Kitchn)
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Ingredients - Vegetables, Summer, Fruits and Vegetables, salad, salsa, jicama, snack food, ingredient spotlightRelated Links
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We love jicama in our house.
Just the other day we served it with watermelon and dipped it in chili salt:
http://backseatgourmet.blogspot.com/2009/08/perfect-first-date.html
And I love to make a mango jicama salad:
http://backseatgourmet.blogspot.com/2009/05/taste-adventure-jicama.html
view Mama Ark's profile
A squeeze of lime juice and a little salt over sliced hicama. Makes a great summer snack.
view lntyrrell's profile
Jicama tastes like a cross between an apple, a potato and a cucumber. Really good cut up into spears, paired with cucumber, and tossed with a little lime juice/chili powder or cayenne/oil, makes a great snack. I think I once heard this is a common vendor food in Mexico, maybe?
view casafroggy's profile
I had jimaca fries at a restaurant once. I don't really remember what they tasted like as they were over shadowed by the fantasic Cuban sandwich, but that's another option for jimaca use!
view ames29's profile
My mom always packed jicama spears soaking in lime juice for the beach--now I do too. I've been wanted to add it to coleslaw but haven't yet.
view jen_g's profile
I do flat chunks with a tiny sprinkle of good olive oil, a generous squeeze of lemon juice, then a heavy pinch of very flakey salt. Murray River Pink salt works the best in my experience. Such a refreshing snack!
view mangabanga's profile
This is eerie - I just jicama in a sandwich =) We also use it as a side dish - cut in sticks add salt, lime juice, sugar (yes sugar) and crushed green chillies....tastes awesome...
I added this leftover to my hummus and tomato s/w tastes yummy!
view Archie29's profile
We use jicama as the main component of a jicama orange salad. We julienne the jicama, segment the oranges, finely chop a half jalapeno, cilantro, salt, lime juice and orange juice. Delicious!
view kellyk1's profile
I'll be keeping an eye out for this the next time I'm at the fancy crunchy grocery store. Seems like it'd be perfect for salads. I just watched the first season of Top Chef on DVD and just got to liking the sound of the word: Jicama. Jicama. Jicama.
view slowdown's profile
Thanks to this post I tried jicama for the first time at lunch! I had picked one up at the grocery store but I left it chilling in the fridge 'til I could figure out what to do with it.
As per the post suggestion, I sliced some small chunks of jicama and tossed them with assorted lettuces, cabbage, raisins, and raspberry dressing for a delicious and refreshing lunch!
view prometheanne's profile
I'm with lntyrrell! A little lime and salt is really all you need!
view jetsetter66's profile
They're also great with melon, tossed with lime juice, cilantro and a bit of chili powder and salt.
view IzzyIzzy's profile
I go old school: lime and chili powder
view alexis's profile
I just dont really care for it
view matt manfredini's profile
Love jicama, my fave jicama salad has julienned jicama, apples, plums, lime juice, oil, cilantro, salt and lots of cracked pepper. best the 2nd day.
view janice m's profile
i normally eat jicama, carrot & cucumber sticks, drenched in lime juice, a little bit of salt & alot of chili powder.
view Epic's profile
As others have said: Lime and Chili. But not just any will do. Tajin is a must.
view nateg's profile
I had a tasty little crisp, apple-textured vegetable thing in a salad years ago and loved it. The waiter had no idea what it was, no one at the table recognized it, and I've been hopelessly searching for it since. Jicama must be it! Thank you!!
view Damfino's profile