Jicama: refreshing Mexican tuber and its uses

What is it?

Jicama is one of the most refreshing and beloved tubers in Mexican cuisine: a spherical or flattened tuberous root, fifteen to thirty centimetres in diameter, with thin light-brown skin and white, crunchy, juicy and slightly sweet inner flesh, with a neutral flavour reminiscent of a cross between apple, Asian pear and water. Unlike many tubers, jicama is eaten mainly raw, peeled and cut into slices, sticks or cubes, sprinkled with salt, chilli powder (Tajin) and a squeeze of lime, as one of the most popular street snacks in Mexico, sold from carts, markets and school stalls. It is also added raw to salads, ceviches and aguas frescas. Cooked, its texture changes but retains its crunch, which has made it a popular ingredient in Asian stir-fries and contemporary stews. Its high water and dietary-fibre content makes it a very hydrating and low-calorie food.

Origin and history

Jicama is native to Mesoamerica, particularly Mexico and Central America, where its cultivation has been documented since pre-Hispanic times. The name jicama comes from the Nahuatl xicamatl, a word the Nahuas used for this root. Francisco Hernandez in his Natural History of New Spain and Sahagun in the Florentine Codex, both of the 16th century, record jicama among the foods cultivated by the Mexica. After the Conquest, the Spaniards took jicama to the Philippines in the late 16th century via the Manila Galleon, from where it spread through Asia, particularly China, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, where it is now widely grown and known by various regional names. During the 20th and 21st centuries, jicama has also become popular in the United States, Canada and Europe as a fashionable vegetable in healthy and raw-vegan cuisine. In Mexico, the main producing regions are Nayarit, Michoacan, Guanajuato, Guerrero and Morelos, with Tlaltizapan (Morelos) and Santiago Ixcuintla (Nayarit) considered the main production centres. CONABIO documents Pachyrhizus erosus as a native Mexican species of great agronomic value, while SADER (gob.mx) highlights its export and nutritional potential.

Characteristic ingredients

Jicama is Pachyrhizus erosus, a climbing legume of the family Fabaceae whose tuberous root is harvested as a vegetable. It is important to note that only the root is edible: the seeds, leaves, flowers and pods contain rotenone, a toxic compound traditionally used as a natural insecticide. The root grows underground and is harvested when it reaches an appropriate size, generally between six and eight months after sowing. It keeps well at room temperature or refrigerated for several weeks. To prepare it, you peel away the thin skin with a knife, exposing the crystalline white flesh; cut it into sticks, slices, cubes or julienne depending on the use. The flavour is mild, sweet and very refreshing, with a crunchy and juicy texture similar to apple. It contains around 90% water, soluble dietary fibre (especially inulin, a prebiotic beneficial for the gut microbiota), vitamin C, potassium and very few calories (just 35 kcal/100g), making it an ideal food for low-calorie diets. The main culinary uses are: sticks with lime, salt and chilli as a snack; in raw mixed salads; in jicama pico de gallo (with pineapple, cucumber, mango and chilli); in ceviches; in aguas frescas; in fruit cocktails. Cooked, it can be added to soups, stews and stir-fries, where it retains its crunchy texture.

Cultural significance

Jicama is part of Mesoamerica's biocultural heritage and an emblem of Mexican street food, particularly the snack of sticks with lime, salt and chilli sold from carts across the country, especially in schools, parks and markets. It is one of the first flavours Mexican children associate with the national cuisine. Traditional Mexican cuisine, inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, includes this type of native vegetable as part of the gastronomic heritage. Economically, jicama supports thousands of producers in Nayarit, Michoacan, Guanajuato, Guerrero and Morelos, with annual Mexican production close to 60,000 tonnes. SADER highlights that Mexico is the world's leading producer and exporter of jicama, with growing markets in the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe, where it has positioned itself as a healthy and exotic vegetable. Recently, jicama has gained visibility in international gourmet cuisine and in raw-vegan, keto and low-carb diets, thanks to its high content of prebiotic fibre (inulin) and low glycaemic index. Contemporary Mexican chefs such as Enrique Olvera, Margarita Carrillo and Patricia Quintana have integrated jicama into modern menus, giving it new visibility as one of the great Mexican ingredients of the 21st century.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between jicama and turnip or radish?

Although they are all tubers, they are botanically distinct. Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus, family Fabaceae) is a legume, juicy and sweet, eaten raw in sticks. Turnip (Brassica rapa) and radish (Raphanus sativus) are brassicas, generally spicy or bitter, with a much stronger flavour. Jicama is larger, sweeter and more refreshing; the others are smaller and are generally used cooked.

What does jicama taste like?

It has a very mild and neutral flavour, slightly sweet, with notes reminiscent of a cross between apple, Asian pear and fresh water. The texture is the real star: extremely crunchy, juicy and refreshing, similar to Chinese water chestnut or young celeriac. When lime, salt and chilli powder are added, the acidic and spicy flavours bring out its natural freshness without masking its mildness.

How is jicama served?

The most popular way is in sticks or half-moons, peeled and cut thick, sprinkled with salt, chilli powder (Tajin) and a squeeze of lime, sold from street carts. It is also added raw to mixed salads, pico de gallo with pineapple and mango, ceviches, fruit cocktails and aguas frescas. Cooked, it can be added to soups, stews and Asian stir-fries, where it retains its characteristic crunchy texture.

Where is jicama originally from?

It is native to Mesoamerica, mainly Mexico and Central America, where it was domesticated in pre-Hispanic times. The name comes from the Nahuatl xicamatl. After the Conquest, the Spaniards took it to the Philippines and from there it spread throughout Asia, where it is now widely cultivated. Mexico remains the world's leading producer, with emblematic regions such as Nayarit, Michoacan, Guanajuato, Guerrero and Morelos.