This step-by-step guide will teach you how to cut jicama into slabs, sticks, cubes, and shreds. This starchy and refreshing ingredient makes a delicious addition to salads, a crunchy snack on its own, or a lower-carb replacement for French fries.
Thoroughly wash it under cold running water and slice the top and bottom off to give yourself a flat working surface.
Using your knife, a vegetable peeler, or your fingers, remove the thick, fibrous skin by working your way around the jicama, peeling from top to bottom.
Slabs
Place the peeled jicama flat-side down on a stable cutting board to ensure it doesn’t slip. Then, using a sharp knife, slice the jicama vertically into even slabs of your desired thickness, keeping your fingers tucked away as you cut. You can also use a mandoline to achieve ultra-thin rounds.
Sticks
After peeling the jicama, slice it into even slabs as your first step. Lay each slab flat on the cutting board and cut them vertically into strips, adjusting the thickness based on your preference or recipe requirement.
Cubes
Once the jicama is cut into strips, rotate them 90 degrees. Cut the strips crosswise to create uniform cubes of your desired size.
Shreds
Cut the peeled jicama into halves or quarters to make handling easier. Then, using a box grater, handheld grater, or food processor with a shredding attachment, grate the jicama by pressing and moving it against the blades.