Cookbook:Jicama
| Jicama | |
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| Category | Vegetables |
Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages | Ingredients
Jicama (pronounced HIC-uh-muh)[1]—also called Mexican potato/turnip,[1] ahipa, saa got, Chinese potato/turnip, and lo bok—is a tuberous root vegetable.[1][2][3]
Characteristics
editJicama looks similar to a turnip[1] or a large round radish, with skin ranging from tan to brown in color.[1][3] The flesh is white,[1] juicy, and crisp,[2][4] with some comparing it to a water chestnut,[3][5] and it does not discolor rapidly when exposed to the air.[1][4] The flavor is fairly neutral with a touch of sweetness.[1][2][5]
Selection and storage
editDepending on your location, jicama may be available where you purchase vegetables.[3] When purchasing jicama, select tubers that are firm and unblemished with thin skin.[1][2]
Whole jicama will keep for several days at room temperature and up to several weeks in the refrigerator.[1] Cut-up jicama will keep in the fridge—ideally in water—for a few days.[1][3]
Preparation
editThe skin is typically removed before eating jicama.[1][5] If the skin is particularly thick or tough, your best bet is to slice it off with a sharp knife, following the curve of the tuber.[3] Once peeled, it can be broken down as desired.[2][3]
Use
editIt is a popular dietary staple in Latin America and widely grown in Mexico[5] and Central America. It also has a presence in China and the United States.[5] Where available, it can be eaten either raw or cooked.[3][5] In the former case, it is often eaten in salad or as a crudité;[1][4] in the latter, it may be stewed or stir-fried.[1][2][3] When jicama is used in cooking it tends to take on the flavors of the ingredients that it is being combined with.
Substitution
editJicama and water chestnut can sometimes be substituted for each other due to their similar textures, though the flavor is different.[4]
Recipes
editReferences
edit- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Kipfer, Barbara Ann (2012-04-11). The Culinarian: A Kitchen Desk Reference. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-544-18603-3.
- ↑ a b c d e f Labensky, Sarah R.; Hause, Alan M.; Martel, Priscilla (2018-01-18). On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals. Pearson. ISBN 978-0-13-444190-0.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i "Are You in the Jicama Club? Here's Why You Should Join ASAP". Kitchn. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ↑ a b c d McGee, Harold (2007-03-20). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-5637-4.
- ↑ a b c d e f Davidson, Alan (2014-01-01). Jaine, Tom (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.