20+ BEST Ube Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best combination of 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.

Taro has a starchy, slightly sweet flavor and is often used as a substitute for potatoes, while ube has a sweet, nutty flavor and is used primarily in desserts and sweet dishes. Last January, we debuted an ube crema to our menu. Just like our regular crema, this adds a hint of ube flavor to any drink you desire.

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.

Ube, more commonly known as purple yam, is a food whose presence in the Hawaiʻi food scene stems from the Filipino dessert, ube halaya. Proving its versatility, ube is a popular ingredient for many desserts, ranging from pancakes to swiss rolls, or from ice cream to ube-filled sweet buns.

Taro Nutrition. 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 ...

If using a whole fresh ube, peel the ube, cut into cubes, boil until they are tender, and then mash if needed.

The bottom line

Purple yams are an incredibly nutritious starchy root vegetable. Their powerful antioxidants may help reduce your blood pressure and blood sugar levels. They are tasty and versatile with a vibrant color, making them an exciting ingredient that can be used in a variety of sweet and savory dishes.

Purple yam is most common in Philippine cuisine (where it is known as ube or ubi).

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.

Can you buy ube in the USA? ›

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.

Is Ube Safe for Dogs? Provided the ube has been properly prepared (boiled or steamed) it is perfectly safe for dogs to eat. Feeding a large amount in one go will likely lead to gastrointestinal upset or discomfort, so don't go too crazy.

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.

Originating from the Philippines, ube is a starchy root vegetable that belongs to the yam family. You may be familiar with its close cousin, the sweet potato. Ube is a deep royal purple, and has long been the crown on top of the Philippines' national dessert – halo-halo.

Deliciously versatile, this deep purple jam can be eaten on its own or swirled into bread dough and cake batter. The base of many ube desserts, ube halaya is often dolloped over halo-halo, a Filipino dessert staple and one of Southeast Asia's most iconic shaved iced treats.

What truly sets ube ice cream apart is its seamless pairing with other beloved Filipino flavors like macapuno and pinipig. Macapuno, also known as coconut sport, is the soft, chewy flesh of the coconut that enhances the creaminess of the ice cream, adding another layer of flavor complexity.

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 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.