Dive Brief:
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Jicama, a root vegetable originally from Mexico, has a rough-looking exterior but a mild flavor and a crisp texture when peeled and sliced. The tuber is finally being discovered, and Fresh Plaza reports it could end up becoming a favorite addition to meals and salads — either raw or cooked.
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Besides the crunchy factor, jicama is rich in vitamin C, calcium, minerals, natural sugars and fiber. It is considered a prebiotic since it helps to establish a gut climate in which probiotics can do well.
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"With all the research and development in the field of the gut microbiome, I believe that produce like jicama and Sunchokes will continue to be in high demand for 2018 and beyond," Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda's Specialty Produce, told Fresh Plaza.
Dive Insight:
Jicama is often overlooked in the produce section because people may not know what it is, or what to do with it. The tuber has a crunchy sweetness — reminiscent of water chestnuts or an underripe pear — that lends itself to salads, slaw, soups and stir-fries, plus jicama can be baked as a lower-calorie replacement for French fries or used instead of corn to make tortillas.
Jicama is a healthy addition due to its no-fat and no-carb profile and its high amounts of dietary fiber and antioxidants. It is also considered a good source of inulin, a soluble dietary fiber, so diabetics and those on a diet might find it useful for a sweet snack.
According to David Sax, author of The Tastemakers, a vegetable needs to have three things in order to enjoy the type of superfood status kale has long enjoyed: versatility, availability and cultural significance. Jicama scores pretty well on all those criteria, and consumers seem to agree. According to Nielsen Perishables, jicama led sales in the specialty vegetable category with $11.4 million of the total $25.3 million in sales in 2016.
Kale has been riding high in the produce arena for quite some time, but other vegetables have recently been predicted as taking its place. The jackfruit was supposedly going to dominate last year, cauliflower had a brief moment in the sun, and some thought the rutabaga would enjoy a meteoric rise in popularity this year. Now we have the jicama stepping up for its star turn.