Pretty Purple Ube Might Be Having a Moment, But It's Been Here All Along

Ube ice cream

The Japan-based flavor company T. Hasegawa might have named ube as its 2024 flavor of the year, but many people around the world have been singing ube's praises for decades (and longer). The tuber with the purple flesh is the key ingredient in striking dishes that you might have seen on your social media feed, including stunningly purple ube ice cream and royal-looking ube croissants.

Ube has also popped up in grocery stores, including the fan-favorite Trader Joe's, which in recent years has carried ube ice cream, ube pancake and waffle mix, ube-coated pretzels, ube mochi and an ube spread.

Although you might know that ube is purple, do you know what ube looks like before it's turned into one of these super saturated foods? Read on to learn all about what ube is, what it tastes like, how to shop for it and the history of this gnarly-looking veggie that's captured the world's attention.

Related: 9 Filipino Desserts You Need to Know About

What is Ube?

Ube (pronounced oo-bay) is a type of purple yam that is endemic to Southeast Asia and widely grown in the Philippines. Ube translates to “tuber” in Tagalog and is not related to the potato in any way. It's often mistaken for an Okinawan purple sweet potato, taro or a purple sweet potato but these are entirely different ingredients. Ube is also known as “Greater yam,” “Winged yam,” “Guyana Arrowroot,” or by its scientific name, Dioscorea alata.

Evidence suggests that New Guinea was the first to cultivate ube and was likely brought throughout the region through the inter-island marine trade prior to colonization. Because ube is widely used and beloved in the Philippines, it is largely cultivated in the central Philippines, mostly in and around a region known as Visayas.

What Does Ube Taste Like?

Ube has a unique nutty essence with the texture of a sweet potato but the earthy flavor of taro. Its flavor profile lends itself to a multitude of dishes from sweet to savory, but most often you’ll see it used in desserts. Its color can be extracted and used to boost deep purple color into whatever you put it in, making it a fun and eye-grabbing ingredient.

“Ube is earthy, vanilla-y, nutty and so unique," says Abi Balingit, author of Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed. "I think ube is a delicate flavor, and the most disappointing experience as an ube lover is to get something that is purple but doesn’t taste like ube at all. It’s important to think critically about what flavors pair well with ube and won’t overpower it.”

Where to Buy Ube

When shopping for ube, try your local Filipino market first. If that’s not available to you, there are several shops online that sell ube products. Fresh ube is not easy to source in many places, so oftentimes ube extracts, powders and frozen ube are what's most available.

If you're in the market for fresh ube, it's important to make sure you're getting the right ingredient. “Ube usually has a dark brown, bark-like exterior while a purple sweet potato’s skin is much smoother," says Balingit. "If you’re able to sneak a peek of a cross-section, ube flesh can range from vibrant purple to lavender. Meanwhile, purple sweet potato is usually a consistent, dark purple throughout.”

How to Use Ube

If you can get your hands on fresh ube, one way to prepare it is to boil it until tender, remove the peel then mash and use as you like. Or you can do what Balingit prefers: “My go-to way to cook fresh ube is to rinse and then roast it in the oven at 400° until fork-tender.”

If you can’t find fresh ube, the next best thing is frozen ube. This is ube that has been grated fresh and then frozen. Fresh ube is best for stews and soups like sinigang and for most dessert applications. Frozen ube can be thawed and then turned into ube halaya, a sweet jammy condiment used in many Filipino desserts. You can also buy jars of of ube halaya at stores and online. It can be eaten on toast or pandesal or swirled into ensaymada, a tender, fluffy cheese-topped Filipino bread. Ube powder can be rehydrated and turned into jam just like frozen ube.

If you’re looking to integrate deep color into your cooking, try using an ube extract, which has concentrated color and flavor. Mix in a few drops at a time until you’ve reached the desired color and flavor. Add extract to ice cream base or tapioca pudding. Try adding ube to your pancakes, waffles, muffins, breads or cookies. Turn a simple vanilla buttercream or cake batter into an eye-catching, richly colored, mildly nutty concoction.