20+ BEST Ube Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why is ube so expensive? ›

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 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 a starchy vegetable also known as purple yam — which is not the same as purple sweet potatoes, though they are similar and can be substituted in recipes. Yams, for one, grow on vines, while sweet potatoes grow underground. Ube is often confused with Stokes Purple sweet potatoes or Okinawan sweet potatoes.

Ube halaya is the main base in ube/purple yam flavored-pastries and ube ice cream. It can also be incorporated in other desserts such as halo-halo. It is also commonly anglicized as ube jam, or called by its original native name, nilupak na ube.

According to the USDA, 100g of purple sweet potatoes and ube have similar values in calories, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and calcium, with sweet potatoes containing slightly more protein, potassium, and calcium while ube has more of nearly everything else, including vitamin C.

Nutritionally, ube and taro are quite similar. Like most starchy tubers, they're great sources of complex carbohydrates, and have a nominal amount of fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C. Ube's most unique benefit is the vegetable's anthocyanins—the antioxidant that gives the tuber its signature purple color.

These are unsolfered and unsweetened. They have a lot of great options in their dried fruit and nut section. UBE season has returned to Trader Joe's!

Please note: Always cook ube before consuming, as raw, it may contain toxins which could be harmful.

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

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.

How do the Japanese eat purple sweet potatoes? ›

Okinawans typically serve sweet potatoes steamed, which perfectly renders their creamy texture and sweet flavor.

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.

Taro and ube are two delicious and nutritious root vegetables that are popular in many Asian cuisines. While they both have a similar taste and are often used in sweet dishes, they differ in texture and nutritional value.

Is Ube Safe for Dogs? If 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.

Look in the freezer cases of Asian grocery stores for packages of frozen ube; it's usually mashed or grated, and already cooked so it can be used straight out of the package.

Purple yams, or ube, are nutritious, versatile, and starchy root vegetables. They are loaded with antioxidants that may help reduce blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Dioscorea alata is a species of yam commonly referred to as purple yam, ube, violet yam, or water yam.

Quality and Characteristics: Purple sweet potatoes may be viewed as a high-end, specialty raw material due to their unique color, taste, and nutritional value, which may also increase their price.

“Due to changing climate, our ube farmers are having difficulty growing ube,” it said in a Facebook post. “It has been our struggle in the recent years to find a stable supply. And in the past weeks there were none.”

Ube has a distinctive nutty, vanilla-like flavor profile, but praise is mainly awarded to its bright violet hue, which provides a pop of color in savory dishes, desserts and baked goods. That's why ube has been called the “new IT Food on Instagram” and most recently, on TikTok.