Medicines
Jícama
Category: Medicines - plant based
Type
Voluntary
Introduction and description
Pachyrhizus erosus known as the jícama or yam bean is a vine widely grown for its large (10-15 cm diameter and up to 20 kg weight), spherical or elongated taproot.
After removal of the thick, fibrous brown skin, the white flesh of the root can be eaten cooked or raw. Crisp, moist, and slightly sweet, the flesh draws comparison with that of the apple. The plant produces seeds that are comparable to lima beans, and that are sometimes eaten when young in places where the jicama is native. The mature seeds contain high levels of rotenone, a chemical used as an insecticide and pesticide. The remainder of the jícama plant is very poisonous.
The Yam bean is both a medicinal plant and a food, but its use as a food is far better known as such we have placed the description in the food section under the heading Yambean, please follow the link.