If you’ve ever traveled to Mexico or even to some of the Latino neighborhoods in Los Angeles, you’ll find street vendors selling crunchy lime-spritzed jicama sticks called botanos. They’re usually served upright, splayed like a large exotic bloom growing out of a paper cup. They’re artfully sprinkled with bright red chili powder and are eaten on the go as a healthy snack. Every time I see these jicama salad sticks I’m amazed how they turn a homely, nearly forgotten vegetable into a magnificent still life and I think to myself, “Why don’t I eat more jicama?”
Jicama is a bushy vine that’s part of the legume family. Unlike a bean, however, the edible portion is the tuber that grows underground like a potato. Beneath the brown skin, the flesh is crisp and white. It has a crunchy texture, not unlike that of water chestnuts or maybe a savory apple. Despite its starchy nature jicama is low in calories and has a very low glycemic index, making it a good choice for diabetics.
As I said, jicama is a nearly forgotten vegetable in my life though I admit I walk past piles of them in my local Mexican market almost every day. They sit next to the avocados and I usually reach right past them to grab an avocado or two on my way out of the store.
However, usually is not always. I’d just left the doctor’s office the last time I went shopping at the Mexican market. There’s a very smart street vendor who parks herself by the doctor’s front door. She sells beautiful, sliced and ready to eat fruits of all sorts. Most of her customers have just been reminded by their doctor that they should eat more fruit and veg. This vendor gives them a rainbow of choices including the jicama salad botanos I mentioned. I didn’t stop and buy her fruit that day, the line was already quite long with guilt-ridden patients, but I did have jicama on my mind when I walked into the market later that afternoon. So I grabbed an avocado with one hand and a jicama with the other hand.
The result of my two-fisted shopping is a simple Chicken Jicama Salad that’s tossed with Green Goddess Dressing. Something you might just call a Chicama Salad! GREG
A Tip for the Cook: Large jicama can be dry and fibrous. Look for medium-sized jicama that feels heavy for its size.
What a clever way to use jicama!
I love the lime-chili sprinkled fruit up (with lots of jicama) served out of the street stands too. Wow. This salad looks like a terrific dish with wonderful ingredients and flavors, Greg. Can’t wait to try it! Creative!
I just bought a jicama at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. Rarely do I see them grown locally, so when I do, it’s a special treat!
What a wonderful combination of flavors! I adore jicama and almost always have some in the fridge!
LOVE this and jicama is so underused. I pass that on my mandolin and toss with lime and chili pepper dust all the time. This looks killer, great dinner Greg. 🙂
Greg, I still remember the first time I had jicama. I was a young girl and it was my first time in a really special (and very expensive) fine dining restaurant. I still remember every part of that meal! It’s probably been a couple of years since I last had it. Must pick some up for this.
I almost never use jicama. Shame on me, I know — it’s really good stuff. Fun salad — and I’m always a sucker for anything with anchovies in it. Thanks!
Nice one Greg. I’ve never even heard of these. I’ll never know when i might come across one in the future and have to cook with it.
So much I didn’t know about jicama! What I do know is how good, yet underutilized, it is. We see botanos here, too, alongside cucumber spears doused with lime and chile. The salad looks wonderful.
I love the salad and the dressing! I put jicama in garden-type salads or slows, but I’ve never added chicken or other meat to it. I like the texture thing! Or, I just eat it sliced with lime juice and salt,..
Mmm … lime and salt
Looks wonderful! I’m a huge jicama fan and should incorporate it into my meals more!! This is such a great example. Thanks!! 🙂
Greg, this looks really looks good. I love jicama but just like you I don’t eat it often enough.
Oops, I mean this looks really good!
Nice recipe, Gregito! Besos, Laura