Yam bean, Jicama
Pachyrhizus erosus

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A climbing bean with hairy stems. It can grow up to 6 m tall. The stems are woody at the base. It has a white fleshed tuber. It has a rough sandy coloured skin. The leaves are alternate and made up of 3 leaflets. These leaflets have large teeth. The flowers are violet or white. The pod is 8-15 cm long, curved and hairy. The seeds are almost black. There are 8-11 seeds and they are flattened.

The seeds are possibly poisonous. It possibly has anti-cancer properties.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in warm places. It grows in coastal areas in Papua New Guinea and up to about 70 m altitude in the tropics. A well drained soil is needed. A light rich sandy soils is suitable. It cannot tolerate frost. Plants need 11-13 hours of daylight for tubers to form. A pH of 6-7 is suitable. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 10-11. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Andaman Is., Antigua-Barbuda, Antilles, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belize, Bhutan, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central America (country/location of origin), China, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Ghana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinée, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico (country/location of origin), Micronesia, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Reunion, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South America, Sri Lanka, St Lucia, Tahiti, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Trinidad & Tobago, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies

How it is used for food

The young tuber is eaten either raw or cooked. They can be boiled, stir-fried, roasted, braised or used in soups. It can also be pickled. The tubers can be a source of starch used in custards and puddings. The young pods can be eaten. (They must be well cooked.) CAUTION Old pods and mature seeds can be poisonous.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. Only occasionally seen in Papua New Guinea and mainly used by Asians. It is a cultivated food plant. It is sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Pods, tubers, root, seeds, caution, vegetable

How it is grown

It is grown from seeds and also grows wild. Seed should be presoaked for 12 hours in warm water to encourage rapid germination. Seed germinate within 2 weeks. Plants can be grown by dividing the root clump and growing plants from the thickened roots. Cuttings will grow. A spacing of 50 cm between plants is suitable. Topping the plant by picking out the growing point and removing the flowers is supposed to help tubers form.

Tubers are ready about 6 months after sowing. Individual tubers can be up to 20 kg weight.

Its other names

Local names

Ahipa, Ajipo, Auyey, Bangkwang, Bengkowang, Benkuang, Bunga, Carota de caballo, Catzotl, Chopsui potato, Cu dau, Cu san, Di le bu, Dou-su, Erosus yam bean, Fan-Ko, Frijol de jicama, Frijol name, Huo guo den, Huwi hiris, Jicama de agua, Jicama de leche, Kamias, Kapamo, Kapamota, Kuzu-imo, Mah-pra, Man kaew, Man keo, Mexican potato, Mrauk-u, Ni ge ba, Nupe, Pachyrrhize, Patate-cochon, Pek kuek, Pe-sein-sa, Pois cachou, Poroto batata, Saa got, San, Sankalu, Sankeh alu, Sankulu, Sbai kalendre, Sengkuang, Sha ge, Sha kot, Shak-alu, Singkamas, Singkong, Singkwang, Singomas, Sinkamas, Thua phuu, Ubi sengkuang, Ubi sengkung, Uisulbe, Xiquima, Yaka, Yuco de bejuco

Synonyms

Cacara bulbosa Thouars; Cacara erosa (L.) Kuntze; Cacara palmatiloba (DC.) Kuntze; Dolichos articulatus Lam.; Dolichos erosus L.; Dolichos bulbosus L.; Dolichos palmatilobus DC.; Pachyrhizus angulatus Rich ex DC; Pachyrhizus articulatus Walp.; Pachyrhizus tuberosus (Lam.) Spreng.; Pachyrhizus bulbosus (L.) Kurz.; Pachyrhizus erosus (L.) Urban var. palmatilobus (DC.) R. T. Clausen; Pachyrhizus erosus (L.) Urban var. typicus R. T. Clausen; Pachyrhizus jicamas Blanco; Pachyrhizus palmatilobus (DC.) Benth. & Hook. f.; Pachyrhizus strigosa R. T. Clausen; Robynsia lobata M. Martems & Galeotti; Robynsia macrophylla M. Martems & Galeotti; Stizolobium bulbosum (L.) Sprengel; Stizolobium domingense Sprengel; Taeniocarpum articulatum (Lam.) Desv.;