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? ›

Studies suggest that ube may have a role to play in blood sugar management. The presence of flavonoids in ube might contribute to regulating blood sugar levels, potentially benefiting individuals with type 2 diabetes.

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.

Ube is Tagalog – the national language of the Philippines – for the purple yam native to Southeast Asia that has since been naturalized in South America, Africa, Australia, and the southeastern United States. It is also known as the “winged” or “water” yam in English.

Ube is very similar to Okinawan sweet potato (which is actually native to the United States) — both have the same color skin (though some Okinawan sweet potatoes have light-colored skin) and a bright purple flesh, but ube tend to have darker skin.

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.

Purple yam powder can then be mixed with water or added to recipes for that vibrant purple coloring and nutty, vanilla flavor. Ube powder is excellent for smoothies, hot chocolate, bread, cakes, and elegant desserts like these ube macarons.

— It has a smooth texture and a mild, sweet flavor that has been compared to white chocolate or a cross between vanilla and pistachio. — Yes, that unearthly color is natural — you can see it as soon you slice into a raw tuber.