I tasted JICAMA (Hee-kuh-muh) for the first time while enjoying a big salad at Sweet Tomatoes, a soup and salad buffet.  The crunchy, slightly sweet texture is like a cross between a potato and a super crispy apple. It can be cut into cubes, sticks, rounds or shredded and it doesn’t discolor when exposed to the open air for awhile.

Using a mandolin is the easiest way to create jicama “fries”, but they can also be cut with a knife. Peel the jicama using a sharp paring knife or heavy-duty vegetable peeler as the skin is somewhat tough.

Equipment:

knife
cutting board
mandolin (optional)

Ingredients:

1 lb jicama
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp paprika
sea salt to taste

Directions:

Peel the fibrous skin off the jicama.  Slice the jicama so it looks like French fries and place in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and toss gently until the “fries” are evenly coated.  I usually devour them immediately, but if you let them sit out for a few hours, the jicama will soften slightly and will look even more like real French fries.

from “12 Steps to Raw Food” by Victoria Boutenko