Jicama

Pachyrhizus erosus · Root vegetable

40 pairings

Jicama (HEE-kah-mah), also called the Mexican yam bean or Mexican turnip, is the large, crisp, juicy storage root of Pachyrhizus erosus, a leguminous climbing vine of the bean family (Fabaceae). Its tan, papery skin peels away to reveal pure-white flesh that stays crunchy and mildly sweet whether eaten raw or cooked — most iconically as batons dressed with lime, chilli and salt, a beloved Mexican street snack.

Picking a good onedrag

Hard, dry-skinned, heavySoft, sprouting, weeping

Shop firmThe all-rounder: raw sticks, salads, stir-fry.Everyday best

SkinDull tan with a few healed scars

In the handFirm all over, no give at the thumb

CrownCut face browned but flat and dry

Smell at a scuffDry and dusty, a cellar note

What to look for, from hard, dry-skinned, heavy to soft, sprouting, weeping.

What one gives you

92%

Usable yield

659 g · ends and skin off

716 g

Typical weight

one specimen

Keeping ittap a band

The fridge is the mistake: at 10 °C the skin decays and the flesh turns translucent and rubbery within one to three weeks. None of that at 12.5 °C.

Humidity

80-90%

Middling, 80-90%: cool, with a dry skin. Damp brings surface rot; too dry and the root sheds weight and juice.

Airflow

Bare on a shelf, not wrapped

Bare on a shelf, not wrapped: film holds moisture against the skin and rot follows any graze picked up at harvest.

Indifferent to ripening fruit

It gives off almost none and does not react to it: apples and bananas alongside do it no harm.

Preparing