20+ BEST Ube Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What flavors go best with ube? ›

Ube tastes mildly sweet (but sweeter than taro and a sweet potato), with a nutty flavor, and is a bit like a vanilla baked good. That's why it's commonly paired with coconut and white chocolate in desserts.

Fresh ube. Ube is rarely imported as a fresh tuber in North America, but can sometimes be found fresh in the produce sections of Asian grocery stores.

And even though yams and sweet potatoes aren't the same thing, ube does have a similar earthy sweetness as that found in purple sweet potatoes. The sweetest and most prized variety of ube is kinampay, which is often referred to as "the queen of Philippine yams" and is known for its complex flavor.

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.

In terms of calories, taro and ube are very similar, with around 140 to 180 calories per serving. Ube is higher in sugar and has lots of antioxidants. Because it has a low glycemic index, meaning the carbohydrates and sugars get metabolized by your body very slowly, it can also help regulate blood sugar.

While they both have a similar taste and are often used in sweet dishes, they differ in texture and nutritional value. Taro is earthy and starchy, and is a great choice for savory dishes, while ube has a distinct and sweet flavor, making it perfect for desserts.

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. An indigenous staple of the Philippines, it's now cultivated and enjoyed worldwide.

Like other veggies, ube is good for you because it's packed with nutrients. In fact, ube gets its bright purple color from anthocyanins, a group of powerful antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation and the risk of certain cancers, according to past research (PDF).

Ube vs Purple Sweet Potato

Ube is often mistaken for a purple sweet potato because of its violet flesh, but the two are not the same. The difference between ube and purple sweet potato is that ube is a yam instead of a sweet potato.

Having twelve round fruits on the dinner table as the clock strikes twelve brings good luck and prosperity in the New Year. Making something purple for media noche brings even more prosperity. The more purple, the better. The color purple — the color of a one-hundred peso bill — is the color of prosperity.

Is ube good for diabetics? ›

Diabetes affects a sizable portion of the human population. Flavonoids found in purple yams help reduce blood sugar levels. Studies report that eating purple yams can help control blood sugar.

Due to dwindling local production and the need to meet export demands, ube flavoring and color has become common in the Asian country. Scarcity in supply of the crop has also resulted in high prices.

Ube, meaning tuber in Tagalog, is a purple yam originally from the Philippines. Different than the purple sweet potato, it has an even sweeter, more mellow taste than its orange relative.

Plant Biology. The skin of Okinawan sweet potato is thin, like an Irish potato, and can be eaten. Ube has a thick, bark-like skin, which allows the crop to store for longer, but is unpleasant to eat. Okinawan sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family and completely unrelated to yams, such as ube.

Ube jam can be used as a delicious topping for pancakes, waffles, or French toast. You can also swirl it into yogurt or oatmeal for a colorful and flavorful breakfast treat. What are some creative ways to use ube jam in desserts? Ube jam can be used as a filling for cakes, cupcakes, and pastries.

I like to sprinkle some coconut brittle on top of my purple yam ice cream, because that crunch is such a lovely contrast to the creamy ice cream texture. Plus the coconut flavor perfectly complements the ube flavor as well!

The Allure of Ube

Its sweet, nutty, and subtly floral notes make it an ideal choice for both sweet and savory creations. As consumers increasingly seek novel and visually appealing experiences in their food, Ube fits the bill perfectly.

Ube halaya, or ube jam, is often used in desserts like halo-halo (Filipino shaved ice) or added to pies and ice cream, which you can often find at Purple Yam. Besa's husband, Romy Dorotan, who's also the restaurant's chef, adds ube powder to lumpia (spring rolls) and pandesal (traditional Filipino rolls).