Summer Jicama Salad

Jicama, the ancient root vegetable, from Mexico is now widely available in most supermarkets.  It’s crisp texture and fresh watery character is quite quenching and cooling.  The most likely species of jicama you’ll find in the US is know as jicama de agua (water jicama).  It can have a very mild sweet flavor but sometimes an almost neutral taste. In Mexico, it’s flavor is amplified by sprinkling lime juice, salt or chile powder.

Add jicama to any salad for augmented crunch and freshness.  Here is a typical Mexican jicama recipe for salad.  Let’s get started.

Ingredients

1 lb jicama, peeled and cut in ½ inch cubes

1 pineapple, peeled and cut in ½ inch cubes

6 oz fresh red or black berries

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced

1 tablespoon sugar

Salt

Preparation

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and set aside in the refrigerator 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend.  Adding the small amount of sugar with the lime juice enhances the fruits’ natural sweetness.  If your fruit is tart or unripened, sweeten it with additional granulated sugar to taste.

Notes

Jicama comes from the Nahuatl word, xicamalt, yet it’s common in southern Asian cuisine because the Spanish transplanted jicama when they settled in the Philippines.