Jícama From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Division:
Magnoliophyta
Class:
Magnoliopsida
Order:
Fabales
Family:
Fabaceae
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Genus:
Pachyrhizus
Species:
P. erosus
Binomial name
Pachyrhizus erosus(L.) Urb.
Jícama (Spanish: hee-kah-mah, from Nahuatl xicamatl hee-kah-mahtl), also Mexican Potato and Mexican Turnip, is the name of a native Mexican and Central American vine, although the name most commonly refers to the plant's edible tuberous root. Jicama is one species in the genus Pachyrhizus that is commonly called yam bean, although the "yam bean" sometimes is another name for Jicama. The other, major species of yam beans are indigenous to other parts of the Americas.
Diced fresh jícama, seasoned with Tajín fruit seasoning. The jicama vine can reach a height of 4-5 metres given suitable support. Its root can attain lengths of up to 2 m and weigh up to 20 kilograms. The root's exterior is yellow and papery, while its inside is creamy white with a crisp texture that resembles raw potato or pear. The flavor is sweet and starchy, reminiscent of some apples, and it is usually eaten raw, sometimes with salt, lemon, or lime juice and powdered chili. It is also cooked in soups and stir-fried dishes. Cultivation of jícama has recently spread from the Americas to China and Southeast Asia where notable uses of raw jícama include popiah and salads such as yusheng and rojak. Jícama is popular in Vietnamese food, where it is called cây củ đậu (in northern Vietnam) or củ sắng or sắn nước (in southern Vietnam).
In contrast to the root, the remainder of the jícama plant is very poisonous; the seeds contain the toxin rotenone, which is used to poison insects and fish.
Jícama is high in carbohydrates in the form of dietary fiber. It is composed of 86-90% water; it contains only trace amounts of protein and lipids. Its sweet flavour comes from the oligofructose inulin (also called fructo-oligosaccharide).
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