Crisp, juicy, sweet tubers can be eaten raw, stir-fried, boiled, roasted, braised, or used in soups. Often sliced think and sprinkled with salt, chili pepper, and lemon juice. Their cruncy texture is retianed even after cooking - makes them a popular substitute for water chestnuts in Chinese cooking. Also the source of starch used in custards and puddings. Jicama is a vine up to twenty feet long. In warm winter areas it can be planted outdoors in the spring; otherwise it must be started indoors. Needs 8-9 months to produce the sweet juicy crunchy roots that are the edible part. Needs sun, and rich moist soil. Caution: the seeds and pods of jicama are poisonous! AnnualMatures 20 if started early inside, otherwise 36