Expanding Your Pantry: Jicama

By Jonathan Berohn

I'm sure you've seen it. Those ugly brown turnip-looking things in the corner of your local produce section. Don't be afraid-they're supposed to be brown. I know-I asked. That was the only way I was going to figure out what that was and what it was good for. Since then, I've always been glad I did.

Jicama is a very tasty and versatile root that is certainly underutilized in most American homes. You can use it as a fruit or a vegetable, and you can get both flavor and texture out of it at the same time.

What It Is

Jicama is a tuber that hails from south of the border and figures prominently in local cuisines from Mexico on down. The best comparison I can make is that it's kind of like a big, sweet water chestnut. Its moist, crisp flesh adds a hint of sweetness that works well in a wide variety of dishes. The fact that you can also eat it raw or cooked makes it even more useful. In fact, raw sliced Jicama actually makes a tasty light snack alternative to carrots and celery.

How to Buy It

When buying Jicama, pick the ones that have smooth unblemished light brown skins. They shouldn't be too wet, or they get slimy (a point to remember if you have half a Jicama left-don't store it in a plastic bag-just put it in your crisper unwrapped and discard the top 1/4' inch or so when you go to use the rest). A Jicama peel is pretty tough (and inedible-be sure to get rid of it all), so I recommend using a knife instead of a traditional potato peeler to peel it. A heavy duty Oxo peeler works well, other than that-stick with the knife.

How to Use It

As you'll see from the recipes below, you can use Jicama in any course in a meal and with any type of cuisine. Basically, any time you want to add a little texture to your dish, think about trying some Jicama. It's mild enough that it won't overpower anything, but it's got enough flavor that it will contribute more than say your average canned water chestnut.

Recipes Using Jicama

Jicama Slaw

This dish is a great summer side dish. I like it with just about anything off the grill, but it makes an especially good partner for very spicy dishes. The Caribbean/Asian fusion of flavors really plays off the cool mild sweetness of the Jicama. Note to the inveterate chile heads out there: you can really change the tenor of this dish by adding 1 seeded and finely chopped Habanero chile. These flavors make a perfect stage for the Habanero to wreck havoc upon. Just remember to use your rubber gloves when cutting the pepper. Save the burns for your tongue.

1 medium Jicama, peeled and shredded
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin inch-long strips
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 cup coarsely chopped or torn cilantro
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
Juice of 2 limes

Combine the ingredients in a bowl

Chill for about half an hour to let the flavors come together, then serve.

Prepare an antidote if you opted for the Habanero version. Dark beer works well-milk if your guests are really whiny.

Serves 4-6.

Chicken Stir-Fry with Jicama

Here's a main course that substitutes cooked Jicama in place of the more traditional water chestnuts. I understand fresh water chestnuts pack quite a flavor. As I can't get those, though, I am more than happy to swap to the canned version for fresh Jicama. This dish works equally well with tofu. I prefer a firm style tofu in dishes that require a bit of stirring, as it tends to crumble less that the soft. To use tofu here, just drain and cube your tofu (about 1/4" cubes) and add it toward the end of the process. It doesn't need cooked-just warmed, and too much cooking/stirring while break it into little pieces. In keeping with the Chinese tradition of cutting ingredients in a dish in similar fashion, I cut everything here into long, think strips or sticks. I like the way that looks on the plate, and it just seems to be more interesting to the mouth than little tiny cubes.

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
1 medium yellow onion, halved and cut into sections
1 medium Jicama, peeled and sliced into thin sticks (about 1/4" square)
1 cups snow pea pods (trim both ends off)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1 carrot, peeled and slicked into thin sticks (about 1/4" square)
1" piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
4-5 garlic cloves, minced (or 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sherry or rice wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Heat the vegetable or peanut oil in a wok or a large skillet (non-stick if you have it) over high heat. That's a handy thing to know about woks, by the way-things won't stick if you cook them on high heat.

Add the garlic and ginger, cook for 1 minute.

Then add the chicken, and stir-fry it until it's done-about 5 minutes.

Now add the soy sauce, wine or sherry, spices, vinegar, and the cornstarch/water mix.

Mix well, then add the vegetables. Toss the vegetables thoroughly, then cover and let the whole thing steam for about 5 minutes. I like my vegetables to still have a bit of a crisp, so I'm looking more for hot than soft. If you like softer vegetables, cook the whole thing a bit longer.

I serve this over steamed rice or Soba noodles-I'm particularly partial to the buckwheat and yam varieties.

Serves 4

Jicama with Coconut Milk

This is a quickly, easy dessert that is a take off of a Thai favorite called Red Rubies. Where the Thai dish uses poached fresh water chestnuts, I opt for raw Jicama 1-because I can't get water chestnuts, and 2-I like the crispness of the raw Jicama in this. Oh yeah-and 3-it kind of defeats the purpose of a simple dish if you're poaching Jicama. I like to use the food coloring here to keep with the Thai origins of this dish. It also makes a good presentation, especially with the oranges. This dessert is a great match for Oriental and Caribbean cuisine. It also works well in the summer as a light dessert with just about anything.

1 medium Jicama, peeled and diced small
1 can light coconut milk (you can use regular, but I find it a bit thick and heavy for this dish)
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup fresh coconut chunks or grated coconut (fresh makes a world of difference here-use it if you can)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Red food coloring (optional)

If you opt for the food coloring, put the Jicama in a plastic bag, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly.

Set aside while you do the next step, which is: bring the water to a boil in a small pan and add the sugar. Stir until it dissolves, then remove from the heat.

Now, in a glass bowl (or anything presentable for serving when you are done) combine everything, stir, and chill. Serve it as soon as it's cold.