Pachyrhizus erosus
Pachyrhizus erosus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Faboideae |
Genus: | Pachyrhizus |
Species: | P. erosus
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Binomial name | |
Pachyrhizus erosus |
Pachyrhizus erosus, commonly known as jícama (
Flowers, either blue or white, and pods similar to peas, are produced on fully developed plants. Several species of Pachyrhizus are known as jícama, but the one found in many markets is P. erosus. The two cultivated forms of P. erosus are jícama de agua and jícama de leche, both named for the consistency of their juice. The leche form has an elongated root and milky juice, while the agua form has a top-shaped to oblate root and a more watery, translucent juice and is the preferred form for the market.[3][4]
Description
The jícama vine can reach a height of 4–5 metres (13–16 feet) given suitable support. Its root can attain lengths up to 2 m (6+1⁄2 ft) and weigh up to 20 kilograms (44 pounds). The heaviest jícama root ever recorded weighed 23 kg (51 lb) and was found in 2010 in the Philippines.[5] Jícama is frost-tender and requires nine months without frost for a good harvest of large tubers or to grow it commercially. It is worth growing in cooler areas that have at least five months without frost, as it will still produce tubers, but they will be smaller. Warm, temperate areas with at least five months without frost can start seed eight to ten weeks before the last spring frost. Bottom heat is recommended, as the seeds require warm temperatures to germinate, so the pots will need to be kept in a warm place. Jícama is unsuitable for areas with a short growing season unless cultured in a greenhouse. Growers in tropical areas can sow seed at any time of the year. Those in subtropical areas should sow seeds once the soil has warmed in the spring.[6]
Taxonomy
Other names for jícama include Mexican potato, ahipa, saa got, Chinese potato, and sweet turnip. In Ecuador and Peru, the name jícama is used for the unrelated yacón or Peruvian ground apple, a sunflower family plant whose tubers are also used as food.[4]
History
The jícama originated in Mexico and Central America.[7] It has been found at archaeological sites in Peru dating to 3000 BC.[7] In the 17th century, the jícama was introduced to Asia by the Spanish.[7]
Spread to Asia
Spaniards spread the cultivation of jícama from Mexico to the Philippines (where it is known as singkamas, from Nahuatl xicamatl),[8] from there it went to China and other parts of Southeast Asia, where notable uses of raw jícama include popiah, bola-bola (meatballs) and fresh lumpia in the Philippines, and salads in Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia such as yusheng and rojak.
In the Philippines, it is usually eaten fresh with condiments such as
Toxicity
In contrast to the root, the remainder of the plant is very poisonous; the seeds contain the toxin rotenone, which is used to poison insects and fish.[10]
Uses
Culinary
The root's exterior is yellow and papery, while its inside is creamy white with a crisp texture that resembles raw potato or pear. The flavor is sweet and starchy, reminiscent of some apples or raw green beans, and it is usually eaten raw, sometimes with salt, lemon, or lime juice,
Flour can be made from the tubers by slicing, drying, and grinding them.[12]
Nutrition
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
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Energy | 159 kJ (38 kcal) |
8.82 g | |
Sugars | 1.8 g |
Dietary fiber | 4.9 g |
0.09 g | |
0.72 g | |
Niacin (B3) | 1% 0.2 mg |
Pantothenic acid (B5) | 3% 0.135 mg |
Vitamin B6 | 2% 0.042 mg |
Folate (B9) | 3% 12 μg |
Choline | 2% 13.6 mg |
Vitamin C | 22% 20.2 mg |
Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
Calcium | 1% 12 mg |
Iron | 3% 0.6 mg |
Magnesium | 3% 12 mg |
Manganese | 3% 0.06 mg |
Phosphorus | 1% 18 mg |
Potassium | 5% 150 mg |
Sodium | 0% 4 mg |
Zinc | 1% 0.16 mg |
Other constituents | Quantity |
Water | 90 g |
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[13] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[14] |
Raw jícama is 90% water, 9%
Storage
Jícama should be stored dry, between 12.5 and 15 °C (55 and 59 °F). The jícama root will stay fresh for up to 4 months within this temperature range. Whole jícama can also be stored in a refrigerator to keep it free from moisture for up to 3 weeks. Storing at colder temperatures can discolor, damage the root, and degrade its texture. The root will keep fresh for one week after being sliced and should be wrapped & refrigerated for storage in this state.[15]
References
- ^ Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014. S.v. "Jicama." Retrieved July 18, 2017 from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/jicama
- ^ Pachyrhizus tuberosus
- ^ Johnson, Hunter. "Extension Vegetable Specialist". UC-Davis.
- ^ a b "Globalization of Foods-Jicama". Global Bhasin. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- ^ 'Heaviest' Singkamas Found in Ilocos
- ^ "Jicama Growing Information". Green Harvest. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- ^ ISBN 0415927463.
- ^ "Singkamas". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ "What is Jicama?". Innovateus. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- ^ Duke, James A. (1992). "Handbook of phytochemical constituents of GRAS herbs and other economic plants". Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. CRC Press. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
- ISBN 1-931686-80-7.
- OCLC 277203364.
- ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". Retrieved 2024-03-28.
- )
- ^ D'Sa, Elaine M. (September 2004), Using and Preserving Jicama (PDF), The University of Georgia: National Center for Home Food Preservation, p. 1
External links
- Media related to Pachyrhizus erosus at Wikimedia Commons