legume root in the Morning Glory family found in the Western Hemisphere with light brown fibrous skin and whitish flesh.
Sweet Potato's cousin.
Root can grow up to 50 pounds, but most in stores are 3-5 pounds.Look for well formed tubers that appear fresh and are free of cracks and bruises, peeled and sliced, then eaten raw or cooked. Similar in nutrition to the potato, with good concentrations of Vitamin C and a good source of potassium, low in sodium with fewer calories than the potato.
You might get a better sense of the taste by considering what some cookbook authors recommend as substitutes if you can’t find jicama:
Uncooked in a salad, the best substitution might be a firm, not-too-sweet apple.
In a cooked dish, go the water-chestnut route."
- Jicama nutritional info: http://www.ochef.com/1044.htm
- Photo and recipes: http://www.bpe.com/food/columns/ferray_fiszer/jicama.htm
- Jicama Wiki: has Asian common names plus many more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jicama
