Jicama Tortillas: Your New Favorite Root Vegetable Thing

The Late Night Gourmet

The Late Night Gourmet

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We all love carrot cake. I love kimchi with diakon radishs (or regular ones). And, when was the last time you had a potato product (for me, it was a few hours ago. Fries from 5 Guys. True story: the first time I went to 5 Guys, it was in Leicester Square. But, that's beside the point).

Anyway, if you haven't tried jicama, please do. It's available with a little bit of effort anywhere in the Americas, and I've heard it's becoming more and more available in Asia. Elsewhere may have to import. Here it is, in case you don't already know:

jicama-1706w-getty.jpg


I recently heard that a restaurant in Cork Town (a predominantly Irish neighborhood, believe it or not) was making tortillas with these at an Asian-fusion restaurant. So, I made some myself. They're like a thinly-sliced potato (which I cut thinly in a mandoline). But, they have a mild apple-watermelon flavor to them. I can seriously snack on them like an apple. But, as a tortilla, they change a potentially heavy taco into something that's relatively healthy. It's still delicious, but it's also very light and actually refreshing. I've never been able to describe a taco like that before. It transformed my life.

72190888-5631-4a33-8d84-4efeac79caf3-jpeg.jpg
 
Jicama is not available here in Spain ..

However, I had it in a salad in Manhattan two years ago .. It was peeled of course and grated into tiny match sticks and served with mango, rocket, papaya, red onion and radicchio with an Italian Ecological Green Evoo & an Italian imported Balsamic Vinaigrette.

It´s tasting profile was similar to Daikon Radish ..
 
I just spent ten minutes searching on-line and no-one is supplying jicama in the UK. I looked at a lot of the Mexican food suppliers and they didn't even seem to have canned! So - it looks like I'm unlikely to ever taste this. :mad:
 
morning glory said:
I just spent ten minutes searching on-line and no-one is supplying jicama in the UK. I looked at a lot of the Mexican food suppliers and they didn't even seem to have canned! So - it looks like I'm unlikely to ever taste this. :mad:
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You could probably try the same thing with a turnip, though what you'll get would be more peppery than the sweetness of jicama. That's not a bad thing, even though it's not the same.
 
Francesca said:
It´s tasting profile was similar to Daikon Radish ..
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That's a good comparison, since the diakon radish is milder than the smaller red radish, though it's not quite as sweet as jicama. The diakon radish is smaller in diameter than jicama, but maybe it could be used to make mini tacos in a sort of tapas?
 
ElizabethB said:
@The Late Night Gourmet

Am I getting this - you slice the Jicama on a mandolin and use the slices for a taco? As for availability I see it in every large market - even Walmart.
Must try. Thinking fish taco or shrimp taco.
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Yes...here's a better picture of that (not mine):

jicama-taco-shells-2-700x614.jpg


It looks like the author of this one either cut the jicama into a circle shape, or found a perfectly round jicama and only save the best pieces. For some reason, I ended up with a lot of them breaking in half after they were cut. But, that's not a real problem: you can either just hold the halves together, or eat them as-is. About 1/3 of the root turned into really good cuts, and the rest was either broken or too small.

I neglected to mention here (though I did in the salsa recipe thread) that you need to peel the jicama. Bits of the fibrous skin
 
The Late Night Gourmet said:
That's a good comparison, since the diakon radish is milder than the smaller red radish, though it's not quite as sweet as jicama. The diakon radish is smaller in diameter than jicama, but maybe it could be used to make mini tacos in a sort of tapas?
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@The Late Night Gourmet

Yes, I agree but it is a decent comparison .. The Daikon is smaller and easier to obtain over here ..

However, I had made the same salad I ate in Manhattan but with Daikon grated and it was wonderful ..

I am sure some Southern Californian sustainable or bio exporter & distributors shall try to market it at the gourmet and Michelin starred restaurants .. I will ask about ..

We do not have a large Mexican Community here in Spain however, there are a few Mexican restaurants in Madrid, and I can check with my contacts about it ..

I have to say, the only Mexican Cuisine I had truly liked was prepared by a Mexican Author and Chef, Susanna who is from the west coast of Mexico, Acalpuco where she has her Catering Corporation and specialises in Wedding Receptions on her property .. She was a guest chef in Madrid, at the Five Star Palace Hotel where my husband and I had gone to meet her .. We receive some clients from her and of course the Madrid based Westin Palace Hotel ..

And on the east coast of Mexico, in the un-adulterated and natural coastal town of Tulum and Rivera Maya where the cuisine has a more Spanish influence, as in Arroz de La Vera, which is Shellfish Rice, similar to a Paella ..

Have a nice day ..
 
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Francesca said:
@morning glory

The last two are not links .. They are farms ..

Amazon.es : How come I found Jicama on The Spanish and English language websites ?

I will try to send the link in the morning from the office ..
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Hey - thanks but don't worry. The likelihood is that they won't export to the UK and if they do then it will be rather expensive!
 
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