Beyond the Hype: What does ube truly taste like?
Feb 14, 2024
Introduction
With its eye-catching colour and unique flavours, ube has gained worldwide popularity and continues to be a trendy flavour for the past few years. So much so that it has been predicted to become one of the flavours of the year 2024, alongside the anticipated peach from PANTONE's colour of the year Peach Fuzz.
But what exactly is ube, and what makes it so special?
In this blog post, we will explore the origins of ube, its nutritional benefits, flavour profile, and pairing options, so you can successfully incorporate it into your future R&D project and product development process.
What is ube?
Native to Southeast Asia, Ube is a purple yam that is widely used in the Philippines, particularly in desserts.
It should not be confused with purple sweet potato or taro, as they have distinct texture, colour, and flavour characteristics.
Ube is rich in vitamins, especially vitamins A and C, minerals (particularly potassium), and fibres.
It also contains a high amount of antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, which gives them their purple colour.
With their vibrant colour, they have become an exciting ingredient in the Western world, especially in creating visually stunning desserts (e.g. ice cream, doughnut, pancake).
Ube Flavour profile
Overall, a lot of websites mentioned that ube tastes earthy and has a vanilla-like and nutty flavour. So I wanted to see it for myself.
I have bought fresh ube to make a Ube Halaya, a classic Filipino treat made of condensed milk, butter and sometimes coconut milk.
It is a type of jam commonly eaten as a snack or dessert, but it's also used in bread, cakes, ice creams, and other desserts.
In the process, I cooked the fresh ube in boiled water until it was soft and mashed it. And during that time the kitchen smelled of burnt sugar and potato.
When I tried the mashed ube, and that proves you how much selection of ingredients is important because the ube I baugh just tasted like potato, it was indeed earthy, very slightly sweet, but didn’t taste of vanilla or nuts whatsoever. After finishing the recipe, it tastes like condensed milk and caramel, like a dulce de leche.
I also bought two ube spreads produced in the Philippines, made just with ube, sugar and water. These ones were more interesting. For me, they smell very earthy, woody and potato-y.
In terms of flavours, these ube spreads for me have some strong chestnut notes with some vanillic and burnt sugar notes. It also has some dried fruit, earthy and creamy notes as well in the background.
Ube spreads:
🔸Pearl Delight - Sweet Purple Yam (Ube) Spread
Ube use and flavour pairing
You can use actual ube or ube flavouring, especially if you are currently using actual chestnuts or chestnuts flavourings.
As it has a lot of similarities with chestnut, ube can be paired with:
Conclusion
As an entrepreneur, startup founder, or CEO of an SME in the food and beverage industry, incorporating ube into your products can offer multiple benefits.
Ube brings vibrant colour, unique flavour notes, and nutritional benefits.
By pairing ube with familiar and classic flavours such as chocolate, vanilla, mushroom, or chicken, you can generate greater consumer acceptance of something new and innovative while creating a sense of excitement and curiosity.
Link to related blogs you may enjoy
🔶 The Taste of Pandan: Exploring the Flavour Profile of this Unique Ingredient
🔶 From Field to Cup: What does Matcha taste like?
🔶 A Taste of Japan: What does yuzu actually taste like?
References
The Guardian, ‘What is this flavour?’: why Australian desserts have turned bright purple, 2023 https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/mar/08/what-is-this-flavour-why-australian-desserts-have-turned-bright-purple
Baking biscuits, Report: ube is the 2024 flavor of the year, 2023, https://bakingbiscuit.com/report-ube-is-the-2024-flavor-of-the-year/#:~:text=The%20research%20finds%20that%20ube,foodies%20and%20social%20influencers%20recently.
Paste, Ube Just Keeps Getting More Popular, 2023 https://www.pastemagazine.com/food/ube/ube-just-keeps-getting-more-popular
Synergy Restaurant Consultants, 2024 Flavor Forecast: Ube Takes Center Stage in Culinary Trends, 2023, https://www.synergyconsultants.com/2024-flavor-forecast-ube-takes-center-stage-in-culinary-trends/
