Heck of a Jicama

Whole jicama

We are a fresh casual restaurant in Richardson, Texas and we have found the root of all freshness. And by root, we mean jicama – that slightly sweet, crunchy and bright root vegetable found in many Latin cultures.  Used in some of our customers’ favorite dishes, jicama is a hero of texture here at Taco Ocho.

Commonly used throughout regions south of the Texas border and in some parts of Asia, the tuber has a mild flavor similar to a potato and a water chestnut. When cut up, it looks like a peeled radish but lacks the peppery heat. 

Wait. Did I say tuber a couple sentences back? What the jicama is a tuber? Well, it’s a swollen part of the stem that grows under the soil and where all the goodies like vitamins are stored. So, because the nutrients are stored in the meat of the totally tubular tuber, eating jicama means you are getting a healthy dose of vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. And it’s low in sodium. And because it’s mostly water, it’s a great hydrating vegetable.

Jicama is so significant in Mexico that it's featured prominently in their annual celebration of Las Posadas as one of four traditional ingredients. But be careful eating the morning glory type of flower, seeds and vine because those parts can be poisonous – and Native Americans used it to poison fish for easier fishing. 

Jicama is one of those veggies many Americans take for granted – if they even know about it. But Taco Ocho realized its importance in the many Latin cultures used to influence slaw for our fish tacos or grilled with cactus for a tostada. And we're excited to be introducing it to diners in the Richardson area. Perhaps jicama will be the next mango. Spreading foodie goodness across the United States.

Grilling up some jicama at Taco Ocho

 

If you want to learn even more about jicama, you can check out the sources used for this post.
A Cook's Thesaurus
Resource from Newport-Mesa Unified School District