20+ BEST Ube Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What flavor pairs well with ube? ›

It pairs perfectly with the taste of coconut, which is why so many Filipino desserts are a combination of ube and macapuno (the abnormally soft flesh of mutant coconuts).

Ube is actually a purple yam. that originated from the Philippines, while taro. is a root that's enjoyed in many different continents. Ube and taro are often confused for each other. because of their rich purple color in many desserts, but taro is naturally white.

The difference between ube and purple sweet potato is that ube is a yam instead of a sweet potato. This means that the skin of the ube is rough and bark-like instead of thin and smooth like that of the purple sweet potato.

Yams are a global staple, particularly in Africa, where 95% are produced, but ube is a rare species that's native to the Philippines. And that's where most ube stays, too; due to immense difficulties farming ube and transporting it fresh, most of us in the States make do with frozen ube or ube extract.

Taste and Texture

Both ube and Okinawan sweet potato have a similar sweet, earthy flavor, with ube carrying hints of pistachio and vanilla. Sweet potatoes have a drier texture while ube is more moist; some have even likened ube to an Irish potato!

Purple sweet potatoes have a more smooth purple-colored skin and lilac-colored flesh. Anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants, are responsible for the purple color of both ingredients. Even though ube and purple sweet potatoes share a sweet, earthy taste, ube has a distinctively nuttier, vanilla-like flavor.

This vibrant root vegetable is a good source of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant crucial for immune function and collagen production. Ube also boasts a significant amount of potassium, a mineral essential for maintaining healthy blood pressure and muscle function.

Although both veggies are very close in fiber, protein, vitamin C, and magnesium, sweet potatoes are the healthier option because they are lower in overall calories, lower in carbohydrates, and higher in beta carotene (vitamin A).

Okinawans typically serve sweet potatoes steamed, which perfectly renders their creamy texture and sweet flavor.

“I would say as soon as you get out of Trader Joe's, go to your closest Seafood City, if you're lucky, or 99 Ranch,” Balingit says. “Those are the places where you'll find not just ube, but buko pandan, and jackfruit, and the extracts and the frozen products.

Why do Filipinos love ube? ›

In Filipino culture, ube is not just a food but also a symbol of Filipino resilience and adaptability. Even during challenging times, the ube plant thrives, much like the Filipino spirit.

Dioscorea alata is a species of yam commonly referred to as purple yam, ube, violet yam, or water yam. This tuberous root vegetable originates from Southeast Asia and is often confused with taro root.

Ube's flavor and texture lend themselves well to desserts, especially baked goods or anything involving cream, and it makes a beautiful filling or jam. Check out our favorite ube recipes, from cake and rolls to milkshakes and more.

An ube matcha latte is a creamy and colorful beverage that marries the lavender-purple hues of ube (purple yam) with the calming and verdant tones of matcha green tea. This combination creates a harmonious blend of earthy and slightly nutty flavors from the ube, and the floral and earthy notes of the matcha.

A Quick Look at Ube:

143% growth on the menu in the past 4 years and 70% growth in 2022. According to Datassential flavor tool, ube is in the 17th percentile among all foods & flavors, meaning consumers love ube more than 17% of all other items.

The ice cream didn't at all taste like a sweet potato, though. It had a subtle earthy, nutty flavor. It also didn't have any of the crystallization in its texture like a lot of soft serve does. Overall, this trendy new treat is a total win in my book.