Crisp yacon tastes like jicama and you can grow it right now in the Bay Area FacebookTwitterEmail 1of2 Yacon, above, produces a crisp edible root, left. The knobby structures at the base of the stem are the rhizomes for propagation.Photos by Pam PeirceShow MoreShow Less 2of2 This container-grown yacon plant produced over 2 pounds of edible root. The knobby structures at the base of the stem are the rhizomes to use for propagation.Pam PeirceShow MoreShow Less In the United States, the crisp, sweet crunch of yacon roots is a secret known mainly to gardeners. When I began to grow it, over 20 years ago, it was even less known, though it has been a popular food in its native South America for centuries.