# What was this styrofoam-like vegetable?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-styrofoam-like-vegetable/767988>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 8, 2016, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-styrofoam-like-vegetable/767988 "2016-10-08T22:07:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-styrofoam-like-vegetable/767988/21 "2016-10-10T00:38:01Z")

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I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned jicama.

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**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2016, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-styrofoam-like-vegetable/767988/22 "2016-10-10T01:34:38Z")

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Whats jicima?

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-styrofoam-like-vegetable/767988/23 "2016-10-10T01:38:00Z")

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> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#):
>
> Whats jicima?

> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> [Jicama?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachyrhizus_erosus)

It’s a veg-e-table.  
😉

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**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2016, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-styrofoam-like-vegetable/767988/24 "2016-10-10T03:28:48Z")

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I’m guessing the J-word. How exotic could it BE? Let’s not get too far out. Jicama is readily available at any grocery store. No one is going to cut up lotus root or parsnip to put on a veggie tray. I would also suggest celery root- but no mention of any real taste of anything.

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2016, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-styrofoam-like-vegetable/767988/25 "2016-10-10T04:01:26Z")

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> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#):
>
> Whats jicima?

It’s kind of a neutral-tasting root vegetable with a texture similar to a crisp apple, but without the flavor. I don’t mind the things–they’re refreshing, I guess–but they don’t hold a lot of appeal to me on the flavor front. If I use them, it’s for their texture and the “refreshing” qualities I mentioned. I’ve never had jicama that I would characterize as “quite sweet,” but I suppose it’s possible I’ve just never had good jicama (and jicama is common as dirt in my majority Mexican neighborhood in Chicago.)

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**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2016, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-styrofoam-like-vegetable/767988/26 "2016-10-10T04:45:18Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> I am 100% sure that it wasn’t cauliflower. I know cauliflower. I like cauliflower. And this, sir, was no cauliflower.
> 
> And yeah, “like a memory of what is sweet” is about where these things were.

Hm. Maybe it was jicama.

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2016, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-styrofoam-like-vegetable/767988/27 "2016-10-10T06:32:10Z")

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I’m pretty sure it’s “Rio” by Duran Duran.

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**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2016, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-styrofoam-like-vegetable/767988/28 "2016-10-10T12:51:16Z")

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I immediately thought Daikon too!

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