Posted by UBE.25
Matcha has become a staple in coffee shops and kitchen cupboards in recent years. Ube is the newcomer. You can make a latte with both, and both are colourful. But they are quite different. Which one is right for you?
The difference in brief
| Ube | Matcha | |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Dried, ground purple yam | Ground green tea leaves |
| Colour | Deep purple | Bright green |
| Taste | Lightly sweet, mild, vanilla-like | Fresh, grassy, slightly bitter (umami) |
| Caffeine | No | Yes |
| Water temperature | Hot water (around 80 °C) | 70 to 80 °C, not boiling |
| Origin | Philippines | Japan |
Taste
Ube is mild and lightly sweet, with a hint of vanilla. You need to add little to nothing to it. Matcha is fresher and more pronounced, with a slightly bitter, grassy taste. Those who find matcha too bitter often find ube very approachable.
Caffeine
This is the biggest difference. Matcha is tea and contains caffeine. Ube is a tuber and is naturally caffeine-free. If you want something warm in the afternoon or evening, ube is a logical choice. Read more in is there caffeine in ube?
Preparation
For both, you first whisk it with a little water, and then add milk. A bamboo whisk works best for both.
- Ube: Whisk 2 to 2.5 grams of powder with 20 ml of hot water, then 180 to 200 ml of milk. See the ube latte recipe.
- Matcha: Sieve 1 to 2 grams of matcha, whisk with water at 70 to 80 °C, then milk. See the matcha latte recipe from 22.Matcha.
Why choose when you can have both?
Ube and matcha go surprisingly well together. In an ube matcha latte, you layer creamy ube latte at the bottom and green matcha on top. Sweet and fresh in one glass. Or make ube cold foam for your iced matcha.
Which one is right for you?
- Choose ube if you like mild and sweet, don't want caffeine, or are looking for something new.
- Choose matcha if you like a fresh, pronounced taste and caffeine is not an issue.
- Choose both for the ube matcha latte.
Where can you buy them?
Order ube powder from UBE.25 in our webshop. You can buy ceremonial matcha from our sister brand 22.Matcha. UBE.25 is part of 22.Matcha, so for hospitality, you can order ube and matcha together via ube for hospitality.
