How to Peel Jicama: 4 Steps to Peeling the Root Veggie

Jicama, also known as a Mexican yam bean or Mexican turnip, is a sweet root vegetable. It’s native to Central America and popular in many Asian countries as well. Its flesh is edible, but its skin is toxic, so you must peel the food before eating it. Jicama flesh—the part of the plant you can ingest—contains vitamin A and vitamin C, among other nutrients. Jicama tastes like a cross between a potato and an apple.

It’s important to peel jicama before eating it since the skin is toxic. Keep in mind that smaller jicama are crispy and sweet, while larger jicama are softer and starchy. After you’ve selected your jicama, you can follow this step-by-step guide to peel and slice the root veggie:

1. 1. Cut off the roots. Before you eat jicama, you’ll need to discard their toxic roots. Place the whole vegetable on a cutting board or baking sheet. Take out a sharp knife and slice off all the stray roots as you would those on a red onion.
2. 2. Rinse the veggie. Since jicamas grow in the ground, you should rinse them off before you eat them. Place your jicama under running water and rinse off all vestiges of its underground history.
3. 3. Peel off the skin. There are several different ways you can peel jicama. Some peel off its papery skin in thin slices with their fingers or a vegetable peeler. Alternatively, others cut jicama skin off with a paring knife. In all likelihood, you’ll probably combine both of these two techniques. Regardless, you must cut off all the skin and roots and discard any seeds before consuming the plant.
4. 4. Slice the jicama. You can slice your jicama in multiple ways. For instance, you can julienne them (slice them into thin, matchstick-size pieces), which is a common way to consume jicama. But you might prefer to cut them into bigger pieces.

Once you’ve peeled and sliced your jicama, you can consume it however you see fit. People regularly serve it with lemon or lime juice as a topping. Use jicama sticks as a side dish alongside chili powder or guacamole for dipping; include them in a fruit salad or slaw; or add them to a main course, like a stir-fry or tacos. You can store an unpeeled jicama unwrapped at room temperature, but you’ll need to wrap any peeled remains. Store them in the refrigerator to ensure they’ll keep if you plan to eat more later.

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