Jicama, sliced & diced: long a staple of the Mexican diet, jicama is a low-calorie root vegetable with an apple-like texture and crisp, light crunch.(Recipe)

Want to add some variety to your diet? Consider this unique and little-known root vegetable from south of the border for its crunchy sweetness and nutritional versatility.

Jicama (pronounced hee-ka-ma) is the root of a perennial legume whose vine may grow to 20 feet or more. The exterior of this globe-shaped tuber is parchment brown, concealing the crisp white flesh within. Once a seasonal winter item, jicama is now available pretty much year-round. Grown mostly in Mexico and South America, you can find them in the produce section of many markets.

JICAMA NUTRITION

Jicama is a nearly perfect food for healthful eating--low in calories, fat free, nutritious and satisfying. They are an amazing source of vitamin C--just a cup provides 40 percent of the daily minimum requirement. They also provide a generous helping of folic acid, a water-soluble B vitamin that is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells--especially important during pregnancy.

And their high-fiber content has recently been found to have an additional benefit: Along with members of the onion family, jicama contains a group of fibers known as fructans, and specifically inulin. Researchers at the University of Bern in Switzerland recently linked consumption of this component to preservation of bone mass in laboratory animals, due to improved calcium absorption, thus providing a guard against osteoporosis.

BUYING JICAMA

Choose roots that feel heavy and dense in the hand, with smooth unblemished skin. The best weight is 1-2 pounds; jicama larger than that may have a coarser texture and less-sweet flavor. They can be stored in the fridge in a plastic bag for up to two weeks.