Yacon, Apple of the Earth

Last Sunday, when we went to Market One Sunday Market, I chanced upon some root crops being sold. I thought it was “kamoteng kahoy” or cassava and I thought about buying several pieces. The salesperson told me it is in fact yacon. And I asked what it was again. She told me it is called yacon and it is good for those who are likely to suffer diabetes.

Hmm…I have heard about this a few months back from a student’s mom who buys the same root crop in the same place.

I asked the salesperson what it tastes like and she said it tastes like “singkamas” or what is erroneously referred to as turnips. Singkamas is in fact called jicama (pachyrhizus erosus). I got curious since I love munching on this singkamas.

I got one piece only. It was a bit expensive, compared to singkamas which can be bought for PhP25.00 for a bunch of 5-6 pieces. The one piece I got was PhP40.00(almost USD1.00).

I peeled the yacon around noon today. And took photos of the sliced flesh.

After a while, I noticed that the flesh discolored. I didn’t know that discoloration happens the flesh has been exposed to air, like apples and eggplants.

I tasted one piece and it tasted good. Sweetish, like a part apple, a part jicama and a part pear. So that is why it is also called the Apple of the Earth. It is also dubbed as the Healing Crop.

I didn’t want to eat it as it is so I thought about making a salad and putting some pieces which I sliced in strips. This was what I got:

Click here to read about more about this root crop called yacon.