[Sca-cooks] cooking holiday choke that Muse!

[CorwynWdwd at aol.com]

In a message dated 11/26/2003 6:55:48 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
mtraber251 at earthlink.net writes:

fiber content?   

6.37 grams fiber.... This is from Low Carb Luxury Online Magizine

The Low Carb Luxury Online Magazine: Volume IV / Number 11: June 6, 2003

"Jicama is the edible root of a South American vine belonging to the morning 
glory family. It is also called the yam bean or the Mexican turnip. But trust 
me, you will sound far more bilingual and exotic if you call it jicama 
(pronounced hee kah mah). Jicama looks like a turnip but is actually very juicy and 
crispy like a Granny Smith apple, without the sweetness. It may be the ideal 
vegetable for those of you who think you don’t like veggies and you also 
desperately miss apples. Truly versatile, jicama may be eaten raw or it may be baked, 
boiled or fried like potatoes. 

One cup of raw jicama has 11.47 grams of carbohydrate and 6.37 grams of 
dietary fiber resulting in a net carb count of 5.1 grams of carbohydrate. It’s not 
the lowest carb choice, but for those 5g of carbs jicama will provide 
potassium, iron, magnesium and copper in addition to being a great source of Vitamin C 
and fiber. That one cup serving will have 44% of your RDA for Vitamin C and 
25% of your RDA for fiber. Vitamin C is required for the forming of collagen 
which is one of the principal components of tendons, ligaments, skin, bone, 
teeth, cartilage, heart valves, eye lenses and corneas. Vitamin C is also required 
for the proper functioning of the immune system.

I think it probably goes without saying what fiber is needed for, but in the 
interests of being thorough: The normal functioning of the intestinal tract 
depends upon the presence of adequate fiber. 

Now that you are convinced that you MUST have this exotic, nutritious, 
fibrous vegetable as soon as possible, you may find the following information 
helpful. Jicama is available year-round at most grocery stores in the US. Look in 
the produce section where the more unusual items are displayed –– things like 
cinnamon sticks, ginger roots and those objects that look like pieces of a 
cactus (what ARE those things? Ah, another article perhaps?).

Choose a jicama with smooth, unblemished brown skin. Store unpeeled jicama in 
a cool, dry place, uncovered for up to three weeks. Once you’ve peeled it, 
you can slice the jicama, store the slices in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 
up to one week. Slices or chunks of jicama can also be placed in a bowl of 
water in the refrigerator for several days."

As always, YMMV..... but that's what I have on it, and frankly, it's better 
than the potatoes that haunt my dreams....

Corwyn

There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. 
And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the 
consequences. -- P. J. O'Rourke