Yam Bean (Pachyrhizus erosus)

Family: Fabaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Yam Bean or Pachyrhizus erosus, otherwise known as Jicama, Mexican yam bean, or Mexican turnip, is a perennial vine producing annual stems 2 - 6 m long from a tuberous rootstock. The root can weigh up to 20 kg. The leaves are alternate and comprised of three leaflets. There is no known medicinal uses of yam bean but it is often cultivated for food. The root is eaten raw or cooked. It is crisp, sweet, and juicy.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Roots/Tubers

Harvest Seasons: Late Summer, Fall, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

sweet and juicy, it tastes somewhat like an apple when raw and a water chestnut when cooked. — Edible root - raw or cooked.; Crisp, sweet and juicy, it tastes somewhat like an apple when raw and a water chestnut when cooked.; The root stays crisp and does not discolour after being cut.; It also stays crisp after being cooked, which makes it a popular substitute for water chestnuts in Chinese cooking.

Habitat & North American Range

Not known. (Zone 9)