Hi there and welcome back to the A-Z of Nosh, by Naz.  I have always enjoyed eating unusual foods and tasting foods from different regions of the world.  It is probably because I was fortunate enough to have travelled extensively from the age of 10 onwards.  I was recently introduced to a vegetable with the name ‘JICAMA’ and thought it would be interesting to find out a little bit about it and experiment with it.    Hence, ‘J’ is for Jicama.

 

'J' is for Jicama

Jicama or yam bean root as it is often called, is a root vegetable that is very similar to the potato.  It looks like a turnip in shape and has a thin, brown skin on the outside and juicy flesh inside.  It originates from Mexico and South America, and comes in two varieties; agua (watery juice) and leche (milky juice). Traders from Spain took it to Asia in the 17^th Century which is one of the main areas of cultivation.  Jicama is also considered street food, like samosas in India where it is sold fresh on the street with a dash of lemon and chilli. 

 

Jicama: image from www.wholehealthmd.com

Generally, however, it is prepared and eaten like a potato; baked, grilled, boiled, fried or roasted.  However, unlike the potato, it can be eaten raw and is often served in salads, slivered.  The flavour of the jicama is somewhat bland but it has a certain crunch to it which is suitable for using with dips.  The Jicama plant grows best in areas where there is no frost.  The seed can be planted in early spring and then harvested just before winter. 

 

It is a perennial plant and grows in the form of a vine and usually to a length of at least 20 feet if not more.  It should be noted that the tuber grows on the same plant that also produces a poisonous legume (pea pods).  Its roots which are light brown in colour become large after several years of growth and sometimes weigh up to 50 pounds.  The average jicama that is sold in the supermarket however, usually weighs between three and five pounds. 

Nutritional Values

 In terms of nutritional values, one cup of raw jicama will provide the following:   

 

 

 For this months recipe I wanted to provide something that’s easy to prepare and unusual to.  This particular recipe was an experiment of mine and I added a touch of lemon juice and chilli for that little kick!!  I hope you enjoy it.

 

Recipe of the Month:

Jicama, Green Beans, Mushrooms and Carrot Stir Fry

 

Ingredients

 

2 large Jicamas

125g green beans

125g carrots

125g mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

1 onion

Olive oil

1 tsp of lemon juice

Pinch of chilli if desired

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped coriander to decorate

 

Method

 

1. Wash the vegetables and then peel the Jicama and slice into thin French fries. 
2. Slice the green beans so that they are an inch in size
3. Peel and julienne the carrots and chop the mushrooms (depending on the size of them!!)
4. Pour a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan and allow to heat up.
5. When oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and salt and fry till brown.
6. Add the carrots and green beans and allow to cook for a minute. 
7. Add the jicama slices and the mushrooms and stir on very high heat.
8. Depending on taste, simmer and remove from heat.  Sprinkle some chopped coriander for that extra special flavour and aroma and finally a teaspoon of lemon juice and chilli powder for a bit of a kick and tuck in whilst it’s hot.

Back next month with more from the A-Z of Nosh, by Naz! 

If you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me 

on noshbynaz@yahoo.co.uk.  Feedback is always encouraged.  

 

Bye for now.

Nazia.