Jumping Jicama!

Oooo! I fooled you!! Jicama is actually pronounced "hic-a-mah" :) But Jumping Jicama just looks better...

Anyways!

I just wanted to introduce you to this food, because chances are, you haven't tried it!

Jicama is technically a root, much like a potato, but it's sweeter! Dave called it "the real sweet potato" this morning as he diced some up for my salad. (Though I still love the bright orange sweet potatoes - this is a different kind of sweet! Mild and crisp!)

I haven't found a whole lot of research on this food yet, but hey - variety is the spice of life! It does seem to be a somewhat fiber-rich food, having 6 grams of fiber in 1 cup; it also has the powerful antioxidant vitamin C. It's low calorie, fat free, and adds wonderful texture to foods. I would say, when eaten raw, it has a similar taste to raw corn... but I'm not sure how many of you have tried that food item, either! (Try it sometime! I like to cut it off the cob and add it to salads! Go organic, though, with corn!! Pesticides are crazy!) Another sources described it as a crunchy mild apple/pear combo. Either way, it's a fun crunch of gentle sweetness :)

You can snack on it plain or with a sprinkle of lime juice, or add it to any food that you'd like to add texture - sandwich, sauteed meals, wraps, green salads, fruit salads, slaw-like blends... be creative!

Happy Jicama Hunting! :) (Now, did you pronounce it correctly there? ;-) )

~Katie