jicama

American  

[hee-kuh-muh, hik-uh-] / ˈhi kə mə, ˈhɪk ə- /

noun

1. the large, edible, tuberous root of a tropical American plant, Pachyrhizus erosus, of the legume family, eaten as a vegetable either raw or boiled.

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jicama British  

/ dʒɪˈkɑːmə, xɪkama /

noun

1. a pale brown turnip with crisp sweet flesh, originating in Mexico

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Etymology

Origin of jicama

1900–05; < Mexican Spanish < Nahuatl xīcama, xīcamatl

Example Sentences

Take the Mexicali Salad: fire-roasted corn kernels that pop with a whisper of smoke, buttery avocado slices, crisp and nearly translucent ribbons of jicama, sharp onion, tender white beans and mixed greens tangled with salty crumbles of cotija cheese and toasted pepitas.

From Salon

“Been wearing my roots and flying this flag,” she sang in “Jícama,” which former President Barack Obama listed among his favorite songs of 2019.

From New York Times

But on one spring evening, Fadul and her team served thin slices of the raw fruit, which tastes like a cross between jicama and cucumber.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, there is a mixture of green leaf lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, jicama, and slices of tofu pan-fried with lemongrass and vegetarian oyster sauce.

From Seattle Times

Jicama provides a juicy crunch like cucumber, but with a more consistently satisfying bite.

From Seattle Times