How To Cut Jicama

 Let me show you how to cut jicama with this easy tutorial with step-by-step pictures and video. You may just find it’s a great addition to your favorite recipes.

A large jicama on a marble surface.

What is jicama?

Jicama, pronounced hick-a-ma, is an oval-shaped tuber from the legume family. Also known as a Mexican turnip or yam bean, jicama, though native to Mexico, is now grown around the world. It has a papery brown skin with a slightly yellow tint on the outside and the inside is white and juicy much like a raw potato. It tastes like a cross between a pear and a potato, a little bit sweet, but hearty.

Jicama is one of my favorite vegetables! Not a lot of people know that it has been part of Mexican cuisine since before the conquest, known as xicamatl in Nahuatl. It is still eaten in Mexico today, in salads, fruit cups with lime and chile, or sold on street carts as a jicaleta (jicama coated with chamoy and chile powder and served on a stick).

How to Cut Jicama Step by Step 

Jicama being rinsed under running water in a sink.

Rinse the whole vegetable in cool water before cutting it to remove debris or dirt. 

A knife cutting the ends of the jicama.

Lay the jicama on its side on a cutting board. Cut the top and bottom of the jicama.

A black peeler snagged on the edge of the jicama peel.

Gently peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler.

A hand pulling a piece of jicama skin.

Once the peeler snags the skin, sometimes you can pull it off with your hands.

A knife sliding down the side of the jicama underneath the skin.

If the skin is too tough use a sharp knife to slide under the skin, from top to bottom, and cut it off.

A knife cutting off the remaining skin on top of the jicama.

Make sure to cut off all of the skin.

A knife cutting into a peeled jicama.

You can cut it into slices.

A slice of jicama being cut into batons.

Cut those slices vertically into batons.

The jicama batons being cut into squares with a knife.

Or cut into cubes by cutting the batons into squares.

You can also shred it on a box grater for salads.

Jicama Nutrition

Jicama is also a good source of prebiotic fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin A, and is low in carbohydrates. For the full low down on all the nutritional benefits, I recommend this article from the Cleveland Clinic.

Buying and Selecting

Your local grocery store should carry jicama, but if you can’t find it you may need to make a trip to your local Mexican market. In the grocery store it is usually in the tropical fruit section. To select a jicama at the store, make sure the skin is not shriveled or wrinkled, it is firm to the touch, and the skin is dry. 

Jicama cut into batons on a wooden cutting board.

Cooking Jicama 

Jicama is a versatile root vegetable. The most common way of eating it is raw, typically in salads or as a healthy snack, but it can also be cooked. You can cook it the same way you would a potato, you can make jicama chips, jicama fries, or add it to soups and stews. Jicama can also be added to salsa, served pickled, or just eaten sliced and covered with lime juice, chile powder, and salt. 

Storing 

Store unpeeled jicama on the kitchen counter for 2-3 weeks. Once you peel the jicama it is best to place it in an airtight container and cover it with water, this will keep it from drying out. It can stay in the fridge for up to a week, but change the water daily. 

How to cut jicama into batons on a wooden cutting board.

FAQs

Where did jicama originate?

Jicama, native to Mexico and Central America, was consumed by the Mexicas and Mayans, as recorded in the Chilam Balam, a Mayan manuscript from the 17th and 18th centuries, describing it as a crisp and juicy vegetable. Following the conquest, the Spanish introduced it to the Philippines, from where it rapidly spread throughout Asia.

Are there different types of jicama?

Yes, there are two types of jicama: jicama de agua, characterized by its round shape and clear juice, boasting a high water content and renowned for its crisp texture, commonly stocked in grocery stores; and jicama de leche, also known as sweet jicama, which is more elongated, features a milky white juice, offers a sweet taste, and has a soft, creamy consistency.

Jicama Recipes

For a refreshing start to your next meal prepare this Spinach Avocado Jicama Salad With Guava Dressing or this Jicama Grapefruit Salad

Or add jicama sticks to this pico de gallo or these pickled vegetables

How to Cut Jicama

Let me show you how to cut jicama with this easy tutorial with step-by-step pictures and video. You may just find it is a great addition to your favorite recipes.
Pin Recipe Print Recipe
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 4
Calories: 63kcal
Author: Dora R.

Equipment

  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 Chef's knife
  • 1 peeler

Ingredients

  • 1 jicama, large

Instructions

  • Rinse the whole vegetable in cool water before cutting it to remove debris or dirt.
  • Lay the jicama on its side on a cutting board. Cut the top and bottom of the jicama.
  • Gently peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler.
  • Once the peeler snags the skin, sometimes you can pull it off with your hands.
  • If the skin is too tough use a sharp knife to slide under the skin, from top to bottom, and cut it off.
  • Make sure to cut off all of the skin.
  • You can cut it into slices.
  • Cut those slices vertically into batons.
  • Or cut into cubes by cutting the batons into squares.
  • You can also shred it on a box grater for salads.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @dorastable or tag #mexicangonevegan!

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