20+ BEST Ube Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What flavor pairs well 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.

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.

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

Generally, ube is sweeter than taro. It contains much more natural sugar, and its softer texture makes it taste sweeter in your mouth. However, both ube and taro usually have plenty of sugar added to them when used in desserts.

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.

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.

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.

Native to Southeast Asia, ube is a purple yam whose glimmering purple center, mild, sweet flavor, and coconut-like aroma have made it a popular ingredient in traditional Filipino sweets. Across the U.S., chefs are using ube to give color and character to everything from co*cktails to cakes.

The color of certain foods can change in color depending on pH level or acidity and heat. In this particular Ube that I planted its anthocyanins are purple when it's uncooked and has a neutral pH. Anthocyanins have a purple hue in neutral pH while the color changes to blue in an increasing pH condition.

Why is ube so delicious? ›

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.

Even with their differences, substituting purple sweet potatoes for ube works great in a pinch. Only a true connoisseur will taste the subtle difference.

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!

Ube, a tuberous root native to the Philippines, is distinguished by its vivid purple color and its unique taste profile. Often mistaken for taro, Ube is characterized by its smoother texture and a flavor profile that expertly blends sweetness with a hint of nuttiness, accompanied by subtle vanilla undertones.

Pronounced “oo-beh”, ube is often mistaken for purple sweet potato, but while the latter is dry and starchy, ube is moist with an earthy, nutty, vanilla-like flavour. Ube's distinctive heliotrope hue contributes to its broadening appeal.

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.