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.