jicama

/hee"keuh meuh, hik"euh-/, n.

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

[1900-05; < MexSp < Nahuatl xicama, xicamatl]

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vine (Pachyrhizus erosus, or P. tuberosus), also called yam bean.

A legume native of Mexico and Central and South America, it is grown for its edible root. The irregularly globular, brown-skinned tubers are white-fleshed, crisp, and juicy. There are two varieties, those with clear juice and those with milky juice. Both have a mild flavour and are eaten raw or cooked. Sometimes very young seedpods of the plant are eaten, but the mature seeds are highly toxic.

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▪ plant

also called  Yam Bean 

      (species Pachyrhizus erosus, or P. tuberosus), leguminous vine native to Mexico and Central and South America, grown for its edible tuberous root. The plant's irregularly globular, brown-skinned tubers are white-fleshed, crisp, and juicy; some varieties (jícama de aqua) have clear juices, and some (jícama de leche) have milky juice. Both types of tubers are mild-flavoured and usually are eaten raw in salads or sprinkled with lime juice and powdered chili peppers as a snack. Jícama can also be cooked. Although the very young seedpods of the plant are sometimes eaten, the mature seeds contain rotenone, a chemical used as an insecticide, and are highly toxic.

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