Jicama
Where purchased: Meijer
Price: $1.29/lb
Overall rating: Can you really rate a root vegetable?
Using jicama was a completely new experience for me. I had seen it in recipes before, but never really knew what its purpose was. If you are unfamiliar with it, read up on Jicama here on the Cooking Light Web site.
I decided to make this Mexican Salad with Pomegranate-Lime Salad to showcase the jicama's crisp texture and ability to "soak up" the flavors it is paired with. I actually think the salad turned out pretty well - it had a lot of different flavors going on, and all together they somehow worked. I substituted spinach for the arugula and had to use bottled pomegranate juice because there were no fresh ones available. I really think the jicama was my favorite part of the whole salad though. It has a mild, but somewhat sweet flavor, and is perfect eaten raw. Cut into thin slices, it adds great texture to a salad. I'm thinking about using the leftovers in some sort of slaw. It could also be thrown into a stir fry, where it would easily soak up the flavor of the sauce and add some crunch (much like a water chestnut).
My biggest complaint with the jicama is that it is tough to peel. It has a thick skin and odd shape, and it took me about twice as long as a potato of the same size would have taken to peel. It is a good source of vitamin C and potassium, but fairly high in carbohydrates.
So overall, probably not something I will use regularly, but certainly something I'll try again. If anyone comes across another good recipe using jicama, make sure to share it with me!
Posts
Oh girlfriend...I LOVE jicama!! I have a few salads that use it that I will definitely forward to you. AND, there is a much easier way to peel it as well...don't use a potato peeler, just use a knife, like if you were cutting a pineapple or cantaloupe rind. That's one of my most favorite things to pair up in summer!!! Glad you discovered it! Grab some lime juice and cilantro and YUM!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYay, I'm glad you busted out of your own rut! I've been wanting to use jicama ever since Top Chef season 1 when Harold and his partner forgot their jicama in the street car challenge. I'll definitely try some recipes and send you any good ones I come across!
ReplyDeleteDoes this taste anything like "kohlarabi?"
ReplyDeleteIt looks like it, but kohlarabi is from the radish family I believe, and tastes like a mild radish. Reason I ask is that kohlarabi is plentiful right now at the farmers' markets and I haven't seen a lot of uses for it other than people telling me they like it raw, or maybe with a little ranch dip