jicama

n.

A crisp, sweet turnip-shaped root vegetable (Pachyrhizus erosus) used raw in salads and as crudités or cooked in stews. Also called Mexican turnip, yam bean.

[American Spanish jícama, from Nahuatl xīcamatl.]

[HEE-kah-mah] Hailing from Mexico and South America, jicama is a large, bulbous root vegetable with a thin brown skin and white crunchy flesh. Its sweet, nutty flavor is good both raw and cooked. Jicama ranges in size from about 4 ounces up to 6 pounds. It's available year-round and can be purchased in Latin American markets and most supermarkets. It should be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag and will last for about 2 weeks. The thin skin should be peeled just before using. Jicama can be steamed, baked, boiled or fried. When cooked briefly, it retains its crisp, water chestnut-type texture. Jicama is a fair source of vitamin C and potassium. It's also called Mexican potato and yam bean root.

For more information on jícama, visit Britannica.com.

/HEE ka ma/  an edible starchy tuberous root of a leguminous tropical American vine

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The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: twining plant of Amazon basin having large edible roots
  Synonyms: potato bean, Pachyrhizus tuberosus

Meaning #2: Central American twining plant with edible roots and pods; large tubers are eaten raw or cooked especially when young and young pods must be thoroughly cooked; pods and seeds also yield rotenone and oils
  Synonym: Pachyrhizus erosus

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