What Is Jicama + What Does It Taste Like?

Wondering what superfoods to look out for at the grocery store? Well, Max Lugavere, author of Genius Foods, stopped by to tell us what's trending.

To Rachael's delight, jicama was high on Max's list.

Jicama is a widely available and very versatile root vegetable that is a source of prebiotic fiber, Max says. It's slightly sweet and crunchy and has actually been nicknamed the "Mexican potato" because of its mild flavor and versatility.

"People describe the taste as being somewhere between a carrot and an apple," Max notes. (Rach chimed in to say that she thinks it's crisp and refreshing and tastes like "celery root and an apple.")

Our pros suggest you put jicama in your salad, dips or top it with hummus. Rachael also gave a shout-out to Gwyneth Paltrow's recent visit when she whipped up a batch of fish tacos on jicama "tortillas". (Take it from us — you HAVE to try these!)

But wait, this next part is super important!

"The interesting thing about jicama, though, is that you can only eat what grows below the ground," Max explains. "The leaves that grow above are actually toxic, as is the skin."

"It's very interesting as to why," he continues. "[Plants] can't run away from predators so what they do is become brilliant chemists." So jicama builds these chemicals to keep itself guarded from mice, insects and other animals that want to ingest it.

Wow, guess Max isn't kidding when he calls jicama a superfood!

As always, check with your doctor before adding new foods to your diet.