https://www.gardenology.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=J%C3%ADcamaJícama - Revision history2026-04-10T02:43:11ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.0https://www.gardenology.org/w/index.php?title=J%C3%ADcama&diff=9993&oldid=prevMediaWiki default at 18:38, 14 October 20072007-10-14T18:38:15Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Taxobox<br />
| color = lightgreen<br />
| name = ''Pachyrhizus erosus''<br />
| image = Jicama CDC.jpg<br />
| image_width = 160px<br />
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae<br />
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]<br />
| classis = [[Dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]<br />
| ordo = [[Fabales]]<br />
| familia = [[Fabaceae]]<br />
| subfamilia = [[Faboideae]]<br />
| genus = ''[[Pachyrhizus]]''<br />
| species = '''''P. erosus'''''<br />
| binomial = ''Pachyrhizus erosus''<br />
| binomial_authority = ([[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]) [[Ignatz Urban|Urb.]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''jícama''' (pronounced "hee-kuh-muh"; from Spanish, derived from [[Nahuatl]] ''xicamatl''), also known as the '''Mexican Potato''' or '''Mexican Turnip''', is the name of a [[vine]] native to Mexico and Central America, although the name is most commonly used to refer only to the edible tuberous root of the plant. The jicama is one species in a genus (''[[Pachyrhizus]]'') which is commonly referred to as [[yam bean]]s, although the name "yam bean" is sometimes used as another name for the jicama specifically. The other major species of yam beans are indigenous to other parts of the Americas.<br />
<br />
The jicama vine can reach a height of 4-5 [[metre]]s given suitable support. Its root can attain lengths of up to 2m and weigh up to 20 [[kilogram]]s. The root's exterior is [[yellow]] and [[paper]]y, while its inside is [[cream (colour)|cream]]y [[white]] with a crisp texture that resembles that of a raw [[potato]] or [[pear]]. The flavour is sweet and starchy, reminiscent of some [[apple]]s. It is usually eaten raw, sometimes with [[salt]], [[lemon]] or [[lime (fruit)|lime]] juice and powdered [[chili pepper|chili]]. It is also cooked in [[soup]]s and [[stir-frying|stir-fried]] dishes. Cultivation of the jícama has recently spread from the Americas to [[China]] and [[Southeast Asia]] where notable uses of raw jícama include [[popiah]] and [[salad]]s such as [[yusheng]] and [[rojak]].<br />
<br />
In contrast to the root, the remainder of the jícama plant is very [[poison]]ous; the seeds contain the toxin [[rotenone]], which is used to poison [[insect]]s and [[fish]].<br />
<br />
The jícama is high in carbohydrates in the form of dietary fibre. It is composed of 86-90% water; it contains only trace amounts of [[protein]] and [[lipids]]. Its sweet flavour comes from the [[oligofructose]] [[inulin]] (also called fructo-oligosaccharide).<br />
<br />
Jícama should be stored dry, between 12°[[Celsius|C]] and 16°C (53°[[Fahrenheit|F]] and 60°F); colder temperatures will damage the root. A fresh root stored at an appropriate temperature will keep for a month or two. <br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<br />
* [http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Produce/ProduceFacts/Veg/jicama.shtml UC Davis]<br />
* [http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/economicbotany/Pachyrhizus/index.html UCLA Botany-Plants and Civilization]<br />
* [http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/vegetables/jicama.html Texas A&M University Agricultural Extension]<br />
* Spanish Royal Academy Dictionary<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Crops originating from the Americas]]<br />
[[Category:Faboideae]]<br />
[[Category:Root vegetables]]<br />
[[Category:Tropical agriculture]]<br />
[[Category:Underutilized crops]]</div>MediaWiki default