Posted by Jeroen
Ube is a purple yam: the tuber of the Dioscorea alata plant. It is not a potato, sweet potato, or taro, even though these four are constantly confused. Below is the difference, and why it matters for taste and color.
What exactly is ube?
Ube is a root tuber that grows underground on a climbing plant. On the outside, the skin is rough and brown; on the inside, the flesh is deep purple to almost violet. This color comes from anthocyanins, the same natural pigments that give blueberries and red cabbage their color. No coloring is used.
In the Philippines, ube is a staple ingredient in desserts: ube halaya, ice cream, cake, and bread. That is also where the name comes from.
Ube, taro, sweet potato, and yam side by side
| Type | Plant | Color inside | Taste |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ube | Dioscorea alata, a yam | deep purple | lightly sweet, nutty, vanilla-like |
| Taro | Colocasia esculenta | white to light gray with purple specks | mild, starchy, almost neutral |
| Purple sweet potato | Ipomoea batatas | purple | sweeter, distinctly potato-like |
| Regular yam | other Dioscorea species | white to yellow | neutral and dry |
Is ube the same as taro?
No. That is the most common mistake, and it is caused by the color. Taro products in bubble tea are often colored purple, while taro is actually white on the inside. Ube is purple by nature and does not need to be colored. Furthermore, they are not even related: taro belongs to a different plant family than ube.
The difference in taste is just as great. Taro is mild and starchy; ube is more pronounced and sweeter. More about this can be found in is ube the same as taro.
Is ube a purple sweet potato?
No, although they are placed next to each other in stores. The purple sweet potato, known in Japan as beni imo or murasaki, belongs to the morning glory family. Ube belongs to the yam family. The sweet potato is sweeter and distinctly tastes like a potato; ube does not have that potato taste.
Is ube a fruit or a vegetable?
A vegetable, and more specifically, a tuber. It grows underground, just like a potato, but on a completely different plant. You do not eat it raw: fresh ube is steamed or boiled before use.
Why is ube so purple?
Because of anthocyanins. The deeper the color, the more of them are in the tuber. The color varies from harvest to harvest and from batch to batch, from bright violet to almost dark purple. This is also reflected in the powder. More about this in why is ube purple.
Be aware of acid: lemon or lime makes the color pinker. This is normal and says nothing about the quality.
How do you pronounce ube?
As oo-beh, with the stress on the first syllable. Not as uhb. See ube pronunciation and meaning.
Frequently asked questions
Is ube a yam?
Yes. Ube is the purple variety of the Dioscorea alata yam.
Is ube a potato?
No. Potatoes belong to the nightshade family, ube to the yam family. They only resemble each other because they both grow underground.
What is purple yam in Dutch?
Purple yam is the English name for ube, in Dutch paarse yam.
Is ube a tuber or a root?
A tuber. Botanically, it is an enlarged underground part of the stem, not a root.
What is in ube powder?
Dried and ground ube. At UBE.25, that is 99.7 percent ube and 0.3 percent natural vanilla. See what is in ube powder.
Want to try it yourself?
With 100 grams of ube powder, you can make about 50 lattes. Curious about how it tastes? Read what does ube taste like, or view the ube recipes.
