Product Review: jícama

The first time I had jícama was in an all-you-can eat pizzeria in Monterrey, México, where I was serving as an LDS missionary.[1] The restaurant owners were giving it to us in a desperate attempt to get us to stop eating all their pizza. (Rumor has it that LDS missionaries were later banned from dining at that establishment, but that's probably hearsay.) It was julienned and unadorned and reminded me of eating an uncooked potato (though not so unpleasant). Every time I've had it since then, I've eaten it with a chile–limón (chilli pepper–lime) salt.

My verdict: The jícama by itself has a sweet flavor which is mild and pleasant. But it doesn't really shine until you dump some chile–limón salt on it. I've tried three different brands of chile–limón salt: Lucas [2], Tajín, and Zumba Pica (you should be able to find at least one of these in any given Mexican tienda). I like the Lucas the best, and then Tajín, but even the Zumba Pica is suitable.

---

Notes:

[1] For those who are unsure why Latter-day Saints (Mormons) go on missions, I recommend you visit here and here, where you can learn more about LDS beliefs concerning sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you have more questions, ask and maybe I'll do a full post on the topic.

[2] The mascot of Lucas candies is a duck and every one calls their products Pato Lucas. The company, however, refrains from doing so since Pato Lucas is the trademarked name for Looney Tunes' Daffy Duck in Spanish.