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    Jicama Facts

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    Jicama FactsJicama also known as Yam bean (pronounced he’-cama) is a Vitamin C rich vegetable native to Central America – from South Mexico to Hicaragm and Costa Rica. It is yellowish-brown colored large turnip-like shaped tuberous roots  having creamy succulent white, crisp starchy flesh. IT has been used in several recipe through out the world.

    Name Jicama
    Scientific Name Pachyrhizus erosus
    Native Native to Central America – from South Mexico to Hicaragm and Costa Rica -and has naturalized elsewhere after introduction.
    Common/English Name Mexican Potato, Ream, saa got, ChopSuey B.n,  ahipa, Yam Bean. Indian Potato; Chop Suey Bean, Mexican licama, Three-Lobed- Leaver,  Mexican Yarn Bean, Chinese potato,  Manioc B.n,! Yam Bean, Foumrsoked-Root Yam Bea,Short-Podded Yam Bean
    Name in Other Languages Argentina: Paso, atat
    Vietnamese: C. eh Diu (Northern Vethigh)
    Khmer: PeThek
    hrksh: Kfik10 Bityrgice
    Mexio: licarna
    Thai: Man Kam Huspackua, Man Lao
    aya: MeheoChikam
    Chinese: Bai Gua, Dou Shu, Fan Ge, Fan Ko
    French: °phone Bullamme, Dohs,. 11Mereux
    India: Shankalu (Bengali), Kasaur (Ohm)
    Kaliegn: ragiolo Pato, Dolico Bulbows
    Brasil: Wag
    Danish: Mexikansk l’amstotnne
    Venezuela: Caro. De Cabello Now, Opera
    Peru: ‘Kama. liguime
    Laotian: Man Ph’ats
    Malaysia: Mmgkion, Mengkuan, Sengkuang
    German: tramhohne, Yarnabohne, Knollige
    Japanese: Buzuimo
    Nepalese: Ks
    Burmese:Pre Blyi, ane-Saar
    Dutch: Bengkoewang, Hoewi ins, Hoewi Hirim
    Melanesia: Beingkawang, Besusu (Javanese)
    Description Jicama is a subglobose, large turnip-like shaped tuberous vegetable consumed due to its numerous health promoting benefits. Although seeds, leaves, flowers, pods are toxin, jicama root is full of essential nutrients, mineral, vitamins and lipids.
    Plant Growth Habit Vigorous, subtropical and tropical, climbing legume vine
    Growing Climate Semitropical and tropical climates
    Soil Prefers a rich, sandy, moist, loam soil along with good drainage which is high in potassium
    Plant Size 4–5 m long
    Leaf Leaves are pinnately trifoliate, coarse, stipules lan¬ceolate or falcate, 0.5-1 cm long, petiole 10-15 cm long.
    Leaflets Leaflets are shortly stalked obliquely ovate or rhomboid, base cuneate, apex acute, green 6.5-13cm long by 5-15 cm wide
    Flower Shortly pedicelled  pretty, big, blue pea flowers
    Pods Pods are subsessile, linear, acuminate, compressed, finely pubescent 5-10 seeded 7.5-15cm long and 1.2-1.6 cm wide
    Root shape & size subglobose, large turnip-like shaped tuberous roots 10-20 cm or more across
    Root Weight 3 kg or more
    Root color Yellowish-brown, coarse, membranous
    Root Flesh Color Creamy succulent white, crisp starchy flesh that resembles raw potato or pear.
    Root Peel Thick dust-brown color inedible skin
    Flavor/aroma Slightly sweet, little nutty, starchy, crispy  and pleasant, reminiscent of apples or raw green beans
    Root Taste Best described as a cross between a water chestnut and an apple.
    Seed Seeds flat rounded to squarish, olive-green to brown or reddish brown
    Varieties/Types jicama de agua, Pachyrhizus tuberosus (Amazonian yam bean, jíquima),  jicama de leche, Pachyuhizus ahipa (Andean yam bean) and  Pachyrhizus erosus (Mexican yam bean)
    Major Nutrition Vitamin C 14.1 mg (15.67%)
    Total dietary Fiber 4.9 g (12.89%)
    Iron 0.57 mg (7.13%)
    Carbohydrate 8.82 g (6.78%)
    Copper 0.046 mg (5.11%)
    Vitamin B6 0.04 mg (3.08%)
    Vitamin E 0.46 mg (3.07%)
    Potassium 135 mg (2.87%)
    Magnesium 11 mg (2.62%)
    Manganese 0.057 mg (2.48%)
    Health Benefits
    • High Blood Pressure
    • Iron deficiency anemia
    • Cardiovascular health
    • Proper Growth
    • Can Improve Your Mood
    • Helps heal wounds
    • Repairs Damaged Skin
    Calories in 1cup (100gm) 38
    Precautions:
    • Consuming jicama seeds encountered respiratory system failure as well as loss of life in Two hours of consumption.
    • Avoid consuming seeds, leaves and pods of the jicama plant since they are extremely poisonous.
    How to Eat
    • In Southeast Asia Root tubers and immature pods (substitute for French beans) are eaten as vegetables.
    • Crisp white flesh can be sliced, diced or cut into strips for use as a garnish, in salads, or with dips. It is often served as a snack, sprinkled with lime or lemon juice and a dash of chili powder.
    • Crispy Jicama after boiling and serves as a textural substitute for water chestnuts.
    • Young tubers are consumed raw in salads, or cooked as vegetable or chutney and in pickles.
    • Tubers are sliced and consumed fresh whole or in vegetable salads and chop suey.
    • They are eaten cooked, roasted, braised or simmered in soups, or even cooked in stir-fried dishes with seafood and meat like shrimps and dried squid or cuttlefish or conserved in vinegar.
    • It is cut into cubes and used as an ingredient for a mixed fruit cocktail.
    • Slivers of the peeled tubers are combined with other vegetables and fruit in a vegetarian dish called `rujak’ which is consumed along with a spicy peanut sauce as well as prawn paste in Malaysia and Indonesia.
    • It is a main ingredient in the Malaysian specialty called ‘popish’ and the Chinese salad, `yusheng’.
    • Jicama is also a source of a starch used in custards and puddings in Latin America.

    Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus) Scientific Classification

    Scientific name Pachyrhizus erosus
    Kingdom Plantae
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta
    Order Fabales
    Family Fabaceae ⁄ Leguminosae
    Genus Pachyrhizus Rich. ex DC
    Species Pachyrhizus erosus (L.) Urb.
    Super division Spermatophyta
    Division Magnoliophyta
    Class Magnoliopsida
    Sub Class Rosidae

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