I’m quite fond of eating fruit in salad form, though it usually ends up a soupy mess. Jicama, like apple, stays firm no matter how much juice is splashed on it and makes a nice bar snack as cubes when just drizzled with lime and sprinkled with chile powder. Also called yam bean or Mexican turnip, the sweet and starchy vine ripened jicima is often used in Mexican cooking.

Combined with the softer cucumber and mango, there’s a nice combination of textures here. This salad can be eaten on it’s own or, when finely diced, topped on a fish taco.

RECIPE: Mango, Jicama, and Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 3 medium mangoes
• 1 medium jicama
• 2 small cucumbers
• 2 teaspoons powdered dried chile powder- such as merken/cayenne
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, chopped
• ¼ cup mint, chopped (leave a few sprigs, for garnish)

Directions

1. Remove the skin of the jicama, mangoes, and cucumber and either cut into long strips or dice it.
2. Place pieces in a mixing bowl and add the lime juice, mint, ginger, and chile powder.
3. Toss well and serve.

Nicholas Gill (470 Posts)

Writer and photographer Nicholas Gill is the editor/publisher of New World Review. He lives in Lima, Peru and Brooklyn, New York. His work has appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, CondeNast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Afar, and Penthouse. Visit his personal website (nicholas-gill.com) for more information.