Have you ever tried Jicama? (Pronounced (hik-ka-ma)) I love it! It is a Mexican root vegetable, made up of 80-90% water. Its high in dietary fiber and calcium, as well as Vitamins A, B, and C. It can be eaten raw or cooked. I favor it in its raw state, I love the crunch it adds everything!
There isn’t a crazy overpowering flavor to it, its slightly sweet and a little bit nutty, but it is wonderful to eat! The texture is my favorite part, its so incredibly crunchy. Its papery on the outside, but creamy white, wet and crisp on the inside.
The first time I ever heard saw it in the grocery store, I had no idea whether it was even a fruit or vegetable or what I could do with it. But I picked it up and brought home. Then realized I had no idea what was in the center or how to peel it. The skin is rough and you can’t really use a veggie peeler. It took me FOR.EVER. I’m going to show you how to peel these beasts in minutes! Then come back tomorrow and Ill give you my most favorite way to eat Jicama to date..(even though there are endless ways to include it in your meals and snacks!)
Start by chopping off both the bottom and the top of the Jicama so that it will sit flat.
Holding it firmly against the cutting board with one hand, using a sharp knife, start peeling it, removing all the tough, brown skin. It peels off pretty easily with a knife, so you shouldn’t be having to cut deep and lose a lot of flesh.
Continue to peel it until the skin is completely removed and you have just the white flesh to show.
With the Jicama still resting on its flat side, start slicing it in about 1/4″ rounds.
Continue to do so until you’ve sliced up the whole vegetable. There is no core or seeds, its 100% edible by now.
Stacking a few rounds at a time, start slicing the Jicama in 1/4′ sticks. (If you want to cube it at this point, just turn the sticks sideways and chop!)
Continue stacking and slicing until you have a complete pile of match-stick Jicama!
*Don’t forget to snack as you go! 😉
And there you have it! How to peel, cut, and prepare a Jicama in under 5 minutes! Come see my favorite Jicama snack tomorrow! Its so simple, delicious, and healthy! I keep it in the fridge and snack on it all week long!
Also, check out a few other fabulous-looking uses for Jicama:
Jicama Chips (I’m definitely going to try this one!)