Jicama

Jicama, also known as yam bean, is a round, fleshy taproot vegetable of bean family plants. Its underground starchy root is one of the popular edible root vegetables grown in many parts of central american, south asian, caribbean, and some andean south american regions. It's refreshing; crispy, ice-white, fruit-like root can be eaten raw or cooked in a variety of sweet as well as savory dishes worldwide.

Some of the common names of yam bean are mexican water chestnut, mexican turnip, sengkwang, yaconaetc. It is pronounced as hecama.

Jicama is a perennial vine plant growing vigorously under semitropical and tropical climates. It has similar growth characteristics as that of lima bean or any other bean species plant. The most distinguishing feature, however, is that it bears globular, fleshy, turnip-like starchy edible root below the ground surface. Unlike other starch roots such as potato, and sweet-potato wherein the peel may be eaten; jicama features thick dust-brown color inedible skin. Inside, its white starchy flesh has crisp texture and fruit-like succulent, sweet-starchy flavor. Each tuber weighs about 250 to 1200 g.

There exist at least five different cultivar types of pachyrhizus species; however, only three popular jicama cultivars include pachyrhizus erosus (mexican yam bean), pachyuhizus ahipa (andean yam bean), and pachyrhizus tuberosus (amazonian yam bean, jaquima). P. Erosus (ajacama de lechea) or mexican yam bean is the popular variety imported in the usa. Another cultivar, p. Palmatilobus, locally known as ajacama de lechea, has deeply lobed leaflets,amilky sap and somewhat less agreeable taste.

Jicama is one of the very low calorie root vegetables; carrying only 35 calories per 100 g. However, its high quality phyto-nutrition profile comprises of dietary fiber, and anti-oxidants, in addition to small proportions of minerals, and vitamins.

It is one of the finest sources of dietary fiber; particularly excellent source of oligofructose inulin, a soluble dietary fiber. The root pulp provides 4.9 mg or 13% of fiber. Inulin is a zero calorie sweet inert carbohydrate. It does not metabolize inside the human body, which make the root an ideal sweet snack for diabetics and dieters.

As in turnips, fresh yam bean tubers are also rich in vitamin c; provide about 20.2 mg or 34% of dra of vitamin c per 100 g. Vitamin-c is a powerful water-soluble anti-oxidant that helps body scavenge harmful free radicals, thereby offers protection from cancers, inflammation and viral cough and cold.

It also contains small levels of some of valuable b-complex group of vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid and thiamin.

Further, the root provides healthy amounts of some important minerals like magnesium, copper, iron and manganese.