Information
Notes
Jicama—the large, bulbous, woody-looking root vegetable—has something of a raw potato texture and a slightly sweet apple taste. And when it’s one of the small (¾-pound) fresh-dug variety that comes out in the fall, it needs nothing more than the street vendor’s squeeze of lime and sprinkling of salt and hot chile powder. In West-Central Mexico, restaurants sometimes offer jicama prepared with orange and cilantro (pico de gallo), and everywhere in the Republic the street-side fruit-salad sellers mix it with cantaloupe, watermelon, papaya and the like.
The refreshing recipe that follows is from a street vendor in Mérida, Yucatán.
Ingredients
- 1 small (1-pound) jicama, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
- ½ cup bitter orange juice (or Mock Bitter Orange Juice, see Notes)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 red-skinned apple, cored and cut into ¾-inch cubes (optional)
- ½ small cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾-inch cubes (optional)
- 3 tangerines, peeled, broken into sections and, if you wish, seeds cut out
- About 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
- Powdered dried chile, about 1 teaspoon (see Notes)
- 2 or 3 small leaves romaine lettuce, for garnish
Directions
1. Marinating the Jicama: Place the jicama in a large noncorrosive bowl, pour in the bitter orange juice and sprinkle with salt. Toss well, cover and let stand at room temperature for an hour or so.
2. Finishing the salad: About 15 minutes before serving, add the apple, cantaloupe, tangerines and fresh coriander to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Toss the mixture every few minutes until time to serve. Season with powdered chile, and add more salt and fresh coriander, if desired. Toss one final time and scoop the salad into a serving dish lined with romaine leaves.