A Twosome Place's ube spring offerings / Courtesy of Twosome Place
Ube, which has long been a staple in Filipino desserts, has become the newest obsession in Korean cafes.
The root crop, also known as purple yam and commonly exported from the Philippines, is turning up in everything from creamy desserts to colorful drinks as its popularity spreads worldwide.
Ube first went viral for its visual appeal as it gives off a distinct violet hue when added to desserts and drinks, taking the place of the long-reigning green of Japan’s matcha.
The starchy tuber is now a mainstay in major grocery stores worldwide, with brands in the United States, Japan and China cashing in on the purple trend. With its mildly sweet, nutty flavor, ube has become a go-to ingredient due to the broad appeal of its simple yet familiar taste.
While Korea has long incorporated sweet potatoes or taro into desserts like cakes and pies, ube's striking color offers a visual appeal perfectly suited to the Instagram generation.
From small businesses to large cafe chains, many are using ube as a base for their spring menu. If you are in Korea, try this unique flavor in different drink and dessert forms.
Ube Basque Cheesecake / Captured from Starbucks Korea's website
On April 14, Starbucks introduced the rich Ube Basque Cheesecake to their menu. The dessert features a deeply caramelized exterior with a soft, moist center, creating a balanced texture that complements coffee.
For spring, Korean coffee chain A Twosome Place introduced an extensive ube lineup. It offers a variety of ube-flavored drinks, including an ube milkshake topped with a soft-serve ice cream swirl, a signature ube latte with a sweet vanilla flavor and an ube coffee latte finished with a shot of espresso. Its new ube ice box cake blends layers of ube ganache, Oreos and cream, creating a rich and indulgent dessert.
Source: Korea Times News
