Where Can You Buy Jicama?
You can buy jicama at most Mexican and Latin supermarkets, many Asian and Filipino markets, and a growing share of mainstream chains such as Walmart, H-E-B, and Harris Teeter. Online, Amazon sellers and Melissa’s Produce ship whole roots, usually in five-pound packs. The harder part is not finding one. It is getting home a root that was never stored too cold, because cold damage is the main reason a good-looking jicama turns out brown inside.
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Jicama is a root vegetable: the edible root of Pachyrhizus erosus, a climbing vine in the bean family native to Mexico and Central America. It is sold as a squat tuber with thick brown skin and crisp white flesh. The name comes from the Nahuatl word xicamatl. Spaniards spread cultivation from Mexico to the Philippines, and from there to China and other parts of Southeast Asia, which is why Filipino markets label it singkamas. US signs also say yam bean, Mexican turnip, or Mexican potato, so search every name before deciding a store does not carry it.
Cut one open and it looks like a raw potato but eats like an apple crossed with a water chestnut: mild, faintly sweet, very wet. Buy it for that crisp texture. It is eaten raw or cooked, and it stays crisp when cooked.
Why So Many Roots Are Brown Inside: Cold Storage
Jicama is a chill-sensitive root. The National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia puts ideal storage at 55 to 59°F (roughly 12.5 to 15°C), where a whole root can keep for up to 4 months, and warns that colder storage causes chilling injury: decay, discoloration, or loss of texture. A home refrigerator runs well below that range.
The damage often hides. A FAO postharvest table lists 55 to 65°F as the lowest safe temperature for jicama and notes that chilling symptoms often show up only after produce moves back to warm temperatures, often during marketing. So a root chilled on a truck or in a mixed-load cooler can look perfect in the bin and still be gray or glassy once you cut it. NCHFP adds that some store jicama lasts only 1 to 2 weeks when distribution handling was poor.
That pattern is worth keeping in mind when you read the customer reviews on Walmart’s jicama listing or any delivery app. When we tried to reopen that review page in October 2026 it sat behind a bot check, so read it yourself. Complaints about roots that were fine outside and mushy inside are what chilling injury looks like, and they argue for choosing your own root in person whenever you can.
How to Pick a Good Root in the Bin
Look for firm, heavy, dry roots of small to medium size. NCHFP says to choose firm, thin-skinned tubers free from cracks, bruises, blemishes, mold, or discoloration, and that tubers under 4 pounds are better quality.
- Heft. Lift two roots of similar size and buy the heavier one. The flesh is mostly water, and a light root has dried out inside.
- Dry, papery skin. The skin should be free from moisture. Wet or weeping patches mean rot underneath. Scuffs are fine, splits and shriveling are not.
- Size under about 4 pounds. Very large roots tend to run woody and starchy, and you will not finish one before it dries.
- Where it sat. A root displayed in a cool, dry produce bin is a safer bet than one pulled from a refrigerated case or misted rack.
- Pre-cut dates. Ready to eat sticks should be bright white, not gray or translucent, with no liquid pooling in the tray.
How to Peel, Cut, and Store Jicama
- Peel with a knife, not a peeler. Under the brown skin sits a fibrous layer a vegetable peeler skates over. Stand the root on a cut end and slice the jicama skin off in strips with a chef’s knife until you reach solid white flesh.
- Cut it into the shape you need. Cut into strips for snacking, julienned matchsticks for slaw, cubes for salsa, or thin rounds on a mandoline for chips. It holds its shape in stir-fries and takes a vinegar pickle well.
- Store whole and cut pieces differently. Keep whole roots dry, unwrapped at cool room temperatures, where NCHFP gives them 2 to 3 weeks. Once cut, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to one week. Peeled jicama does not discolor like a cut potato, but it dries out.
Shopping In Store: Which Stores and Which Shelf
Stores that sell a lot of jicama turn their stock fastest, and fast turnover is your best protection against old or chilled roots. Check produce near the specialty and tropical items, close to plantains, taro, and chiles.
Mexican, Latin, and Asian markets
Mexican and Latin supermarkets treat it as a staple vegetable, not a novelty, and Filipino and other Asian markets stock it under singkamas or yam bean. While you are there, cotija cheese, limes, cilantro, and chia seeds are usually a few aisles away.
Walmart, H-E-B, and Harris Teeter
Walmart lists fresh jicama, though store stock swings by region; look near the peppers, cilantro, and avocado display and call first. H-E-B sells it by the each. Harris Teeter, the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic chain Kroger has owned since 2014, sells it in store and online, and its store locator shows the nearest location.
Pre-cut sticks and farmers markets
Other supermarket chains stock whole roots inconsistently and more often carry chilled, peeled sticks; Kroger-family stores list 14-ounce packs. Sticks cost more per pound and spoil faster, but skip the peeling. Farmers markets in warm regions sometimes sell it straight from the grower. If the bin is empty, ask the produce manager whether it is a regular item or an occasional order.
Ordering Online: Amazon, Melissa’s, and Delivery Apps
Order online when no local store stocks it or when you want a case. Shipping matters more than price on a perishable root, so check the delivery window before you buy.
Amazon
Amazon lists whole roots through third-party produce sellers, commonly in five-pound boxes. Browse their selection #ad and read each listing carefully, because seed packets and live plants surface in the same results.
Melissa’s Produce
Melissa’s, the Southern California specialty produce distributor, is the closest thing to a dedicated source. When we checked its jicama page in October 2026, it offered one option, a 5-pound pack at 10.69 USD, listed as grown in Mexico with an April through October season, and advised storing whole roots in a cool, dark, dry place for up to three weeks.
Instacart and grocery delivery apps
Instacart and Walmart delivery pull from stores near you, so availability follows your zip code, and a shopper picks the root for you. Ask for a firm, heavy one in the notes. For more produce that mainstream chains treat as optional, see our guides to jackfruit, dragon fruit, and coconuts.
When Is It in Season? The Sources Disagree
Jicama is available year-round in US stores, but the published season depends on who you ask, because most supply is imported.
| Source | What it says about season |
|---|---|
| National Center for Home Food Preservation | Mostly imported from Mexico and South America, available year-round; some grown in Texas |
| University of Minnesota Extension | Peak season fall and winter |
| Melissa’s Produce | April through October for its Mexican supply |
The practical takeaway: season matters less than handling. A fresh jicama that never sat below about 55°F beats an in-season root that spent a night in a cold case.
Nutrition and Safety Before You Buy
Only the peeled root is food. Cleveland Clinic notes that the vines and beans contain rotenone, a natural insecticide that is toxic to humans in large amounts, and Britannica describes the mature seeds, leaves, and stems as highly toxic. Grocery stores sell only the root, so buying it carries no risk; the gardening seed is the part to keep away from kids and pets.
For jicama nutrition, NCHFP lists a half-cup (60 g) serving of raw jicama at 25 calories, about 3 grams of fiber, and 20% of the Daily Value for vitamin C. Per cup, Cleveland Clinic gives 49 calories and 12 grams of carbohydrate, far fewer carbohydrates than a potato. Much of the fiber is inulin, a prebiotic fiber that feeds bacteria in your gut, though most research on jicama itself is early or in animals.
Do not treat this vegetable as a baking potato. It will not go soft and fluffy; cooked, it stays closer to a water chestnut than a russet. Air fryer sticks come out crunchy, not like French fries.
Four Ways to Buy, Matched to How You Will Use It
Most households: one whole fresh root. Enough for a week of snacking, slaw, or salads for two, and cheapest at a Latin market. Check price on Amazon
Convenience: pre-cut sticks. Peeled and chilled, from store brands and produce packers. You pay a premium per pound and get a shorter shelf life, but no peeling. Check price on Amazon
Bulk: a five-pound case. Worth it if you cook with it weekly or have no local source; stored dry and cool, whole roots hold for weeks. Check price on Amazon
Gardeners: seed, not food. The seeds are toxic and are for planting only. The jicama plant needs a long, warm, frost-free season, realistic mainly in the warmest US zones. Check price on Amazon
Start at a Latin or Asian grocer if one is within a reasonable drive, pick a root from a dry, unrefrigerated bin, and compare two or three by weight. No local source? Order a case and keep it out of the refrigerator until you cut it. Then peel it with a knife and eat jicama raw with lime juice, chili powder, and salt.
Questions Shoppers Ask
Is jicama poisonous?
The root is not poisonous and is safe eaten raw once peeled. The rest of the plant is another matter: the vines, beans, mature seeds, and leaves contain rotenone and should never be eaten. Buying at a grocery store carries no risk, because only the tuber is sold as food.
What is it called in English?
There is no single English name, which is why it can be hard to find. US stores use yam bean, Mexican turnip, or Mexican potato on the sign, and Filipino markets use singkamas. Search every variant in a delivery app before deciding a store does not carry it.
Why is my jicama brown inside?
Brown, gray, or glassy flesh usually means chilling injury or age. Jicama held below about 55°F can decay and discolor inside, and the symptoms often appear only after it warms up again. Trimming will not fix it, so return it to the store if you can.
Does a whole root need refrigeration?
No. A whole, unpeeled root keeps best dry at cool room temperature, ideally 55 to 59°F, and NCHFP warns that colder storage risks chilling injury. Once cut, refrigerate it tightly wrapped and use it within about a week.