So, you buy jicama at the supermarket and arrive home feeling confused, not knowing what to do with it. This popular root vegetable can be enjoyed in many ways, is delicious, and tastes like a cross between an apple and a potato. Try!
Step
Part 1 of 4: Preparing Jicama to Eat
Step 1. Look for jicama
You can get jicama at your local supermarket or traditional market, depending on where you live. Your chances of getting yam will be greater if you look for it at large supermarkets such as Carrefour or Hypermart.
- If you have trouble finding yam at a local supermarket, try looking for it at a fruit vendor at a traditional market or a salad seller.
- Yam is usually easier to get during the dry season and is mostly imported from the Central Java area. Avoid jicama that are soft, wrinkled, or have dark patches.
Step 2. Peel the jicama
You must peel the jicama before consuming it. It may be difficult to peel the jicama skin with a regular vegetable peeler. Preferably, do not eat yam skin.
- Use a kitchen knife instead of a vegetable peeler. First, cut each end of the jicama to create a flat surface. Before peeling jicama, wash it under cold running water and dry it as you would with potatoes.
- Place the jicama on a cutting board with the widest flat end at the bottom. Peel the jicama from top to bottom with a knife inserted under the skin. Follow the natural lines of the jicama when peeling.
Step 3. Cut the jicama
Once peeled, place the jicama with the widest flat end down, and make even vertical slices. Then slice this piece into rods. Again, slice this jicama stem crosswise. As a result, you will get jicama in the form of small dice.
You can also grate the jicama using a cutting tool called a mandolin slicer. First, cut this vegetable in half or quarters. Then use a mandolin to grate the jicama into thin sheets
Part 2 of 4: Saving Jicama
Step 1. Even though the inside of the jicama is white, you don't have to worry that the jicama will change color when exposed to air, as is the case with apples
So, you don't need to store it specifically if you want to consume it on the same day.
- However, if you only eat half of the yam tubers and want to save the rest, put the jicama in a plastic or plastic container that can be closed and store in the refrigerator. Jicama can last for several days and remains safe for consumption.
- It's just that the ends of the jicama slices may be a little dry. So, you should cut the part before consuming it.
- Before peeling and slicing, jicama can be stored for two to four weeks as long as it is placed in a cool, dry and dark place. Do not store jicama at temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius because it will cause changes in color and texture.
Part 3 of 4: Eating Jicama
Step 1. Consume jicama raw
You can eat jicama without cooking it. In fact, it tastes very delicious when eaten raw. You can also eat it like a carrot sliced lengthwise, and dip it in a dipping sauce or just eat it.
- Jicama is most often processed into rujak. After peeling, slice the jicama a little thinly, mix it with other fruit slices such as young mango, almost ripe papaya, pineapple, kedondong, and guava, then sprinkle with rujak seasoning.
- Add jicama to cabbage salad. Grate the jicama into thin, small slices, then add them to the grated red/white cabbage and carrot mixture.
- Add jicama to the spring roll filling or stir-fry. Adding jicama to the stir fry and cooking it briefly will give the stir fry a crunchy texture. You can also cook it with broccoli, garlic, ginger, scallions, cashews or roasted sesame seeds.
Step 2. Saute the jicama
You can also saute jicama with other vegetables, such as broccoli, zucchini, onions, and sweet peppers. Jicama is suitable for cooking with other vegetables because it has a crunchy texture like radish.
- First, fry the jicama in a little olive oil until brown. Add sliced onion and red bell pepper sliced lengthwise. Cook until soft.
- You can also bake jicama by cutting it into cubes and placing it on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius, sprinkle jicama with olive oil, rosemary, parsley, and teaspoon minced garlic, and bake for an hour.
Step 3. Enjoy the yam chips
Jicama chips can be a healthy snack option. To make it, peel about kg of yam.
- Cut the jicama with a mandolin cutting tool so that it gets a thickness of 2 mm. Spread olive oil on both sides of the jicama slices, and add salt and pepper. Place the jicama slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure the jicama slices do not pile up.
- Bake the jicama in the oven at about 94 degrees Celsius for 100 minutes. To ensure crispy chips, you should flip them every 20 minutes.
- You can also make raw jicama chips. Simply peel the yam and thinly slice. Sprinkle jicama slices with the juice of lime, sugar and chili powder. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving.
Step 4. Make a creative dish with jicama
One way to enjoy jicama is to mix it into a fruit salad. This dish is very fresh and perfect for enjoying in hot weather.
- Mix the diced jicama with the mango, pineapple, watermelon, and cucumber pieces, then add the lime juice and chili powder.
- Add jicama as a snack option in a cocktail party. Or use it instead of papaya in a shrimp salad. Combine jicama, sprouts, herbs and scallions. Whisk the garlic paste, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar, add salt and pepper. Mix everything. Add shrimp and beans.
- Consider adding jicama to salads, or using it to replace cucumbers in sushi rolls. Jicama is best used in quick cooking recipes because it will retain its crunch.
Part 4 of 4: Learn the Benefits of Jicama
Step 1. Find out the facts about jicama
Jicama including vegetables, not fruit. This round, thick fleshy vegetable can grow quite large, and the skin has a bark-like texture.
- As already mentioned, jicama has an apple-like taste. Jicama is sometimes called Mexican radish, is starchy, and is a fairly popular tuber vegetable with a slightly sweet taste. The texture is like fresh pears or raw potatoes.
- Jicama is a species in the genus Pachyrhizus in the legume family. Plants in this genus are referred to as yam beans, although the term could be just another name for yam bean. This tuber also grows in Central America, South Asia, and the Caribbean.
Step 2. Know the benefits of yam for health
There are many reasons to consume jicama. One of them, yam has few calories, only 35 per 100 grams. Jicama is also good for lowering cholesterol and has a very low sodium content.
- Jicama is a high source of fiber. Jicama is considered a healthy snack for people who suffer from diabetes or are on a diet. However, you should know that jicama also contains an organic toxin called rotenone, which has been linked to Parkinson's disease in several studies. This poison is mostly found in leaf shoots, roots, and seeds. So don't eat it. Peeled yam is considered safe for human consumption.
- Jicama is rich in vitamin C. In addition, jicama also contains important minerals such as magnesium, copper, iron, and manganese.
Tips
- Make sure the yam is washed until it is completely clean after peeling.
- Store leftover jicama in a plastic bag, or wrap it in plastic in the refrigerator.
- To enjoy pickled yam you can add chili powder, lime juice/vinegar, garlic, shrimp paste, sugar and salt.
Warning
- Be careful when using a knife.
- Do not eat jicama skin.
- The eyes will feel very sore if exposed to lime juice. So, be careful.
