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December 08, 2008
Jicama
jicama botana
This is a very popular snack in Mexico. It is the root vegetable, jicama. Those readers in the United States may also recognize it, as it is widely available there as well.
I love this stuff. I was turned on to it by my sister, Annie, who once brought it along to a racing event. It does not have a great deal of flavor, but it is crisp and somewhat sweet, tasting somewhat like a raw green bean. The appearance is sort of like a big brown turnip before it is cut.
In the photograph above, it has been peeled and cut into strips. In Mexico, the dish is served with some kind of crushed, dried chile mixture, like Tajín seasoning, or my favorite, Valentina brand.
Valentina brand salsa en polvo
These chile powders have citric acid added to emulate the tangyness of lime juice, but I usually serve a plate of this with real limes too, since real lime juice tastes far better.
In Mexico, one is most likely to encounter jicama as seen above at a bar or lounge when one is drinking beer or micheladas. Sometimes a plate comes with strips of peeled cucumbers and/or carrot sticks. In slightly different forms, it is available as a street food. Many times one can buy a big plastic cup of it from a street vendor selling other fruits, and in Zacatecas, I saw a actual storefront ("Jicamoy") that sold a whole jicama on a stick, with a wide variety of different seasonings available.
Posted by crispy at December 8, 2008 03:40 PM
Comments
Oh God, this so reminds me of racing and Boulder - Annie and I would be dieting, going to races, and living on this stuff. I grew to despise it - Annie used to put it in everything from salads to Chinese foods - until I thought if I ever ate any again, I would die. Even though your entry makes me wonder if I would like it again now, especially with the seasoning, I just don't think I could attempt it without gagging! Heh, good times!
[crispy says: BAH HA HA HAAAAAA! That's hilarious that you remember it from the same events I do. I'm sorry the experience spoiled you on it.]
Posted by: Carol at December 9, 2008 08:30 AM