By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
It’s purple, it’s pretty and it’s popping up on a social media platform near you! From doughnuts to ice cream and pastel-tinged lattes, if you’ve been on Instagram or TikTok in the past year, chances are you’ve seen a swirl of lavender-hued deliciousness that looks fabulously filtered.
Plot twist. It is as true blue (or violet?) as they come and, definitely not just a passing FYP fad. The #foodporn in frame is the iconic ube (pronounced ‘oo-beh’) - a Filipino purple yam that’s having a seriously photogenic moment.
Don’t let the trendy front fool you. Ube isn’t some new artificially-hued Gen-Alpha influencer food; it’s been a staple in Filipino cuisine for generations. In fact, ask any Filipino kid what dessert screams home and they’ll probably say ube halaya - a thick, sticky, sweet jam made from mashed ube, coconut milk and condensed milk.
Served chilled, spread on bread or folded into pastries, it’s rich, earthy and just the right amount of sweet. Think of it as the Filipino answer to Nutella - with violet vibes.
So, why is ube suddenly everywhere…both online and across IRL eateries?
Part of it comes down to its bold, natural colour. That deep mauve tint is all thanks to anthocyanins - the same antioxidant-rich compounds found in blueberries and red cabbage. In other words, it’s eye-catching and good for you.
However, while health food fans love that it's a complex carb with fibre and vitamins, most fans are here for the Instafood hashtag - with ube serving main character energy on many a dessert menu and stealing the spotlight with every swirly, silky, lilac-stained bite.
Australians are also finally catching up to what Filipinos have known forever - that ube is nostalgic, delicious and wildly versatile. It’s the star of halo-halo, a Filipino shaved ice dessert loaded with fruit, beans, jellies and a big scoop of ube ice cream on top.
You’ll also find it folded through sponge cakes, turned into dreamy mousses, baked into cookies and even layered in cheesecakes. Even croissants are in on the ube collab - with flaky pastries filled with halaya, filling many a cafe menu and social media feed!
Perhaps the best thing about ube is how it bridges tradition and trend. It allows Filipino bakers, Chefs and home cooks to proudly celebrate their culture, while introducing it to a new generation of curious eaters.
The rise of ube has also sparked a broader interest in Filipino cuisine, from savoury dishes like sinigang and sisig to sweets like sapin-sapin and turon. People are starting to realise that Filipino food is more than just a fusion of Spanish, Chinese and Malay influences - it’s vibrant, soulful and worthy of its own spotlight.
It’s not just happening in restaurants. Scroll through TikTok and you’ll find ube pancake stacks, smoothie bowls and ‘ube girl Summer’ aesthetics in full swing. It's the kind of ingredient that turns a basic brunch into a purple-powered masterpiece.
Food creators love it for the aesthetic and cooks for the flexibility. You can buy it frozen, powdered or pre-cooked as halaya, ready to stir through whatever needs a pop of colour and comfort.
Finally, it’s important to remember, not all purple foods are created equal, so don’t confuse ube with purple sweet potato or taro, which are also delicious but have totally different flavour profiles.
Ube tastes like vanilla-meets-pistachio-meets-coconut, with a soft, nutty sweetness and no starchy aftertaste. It’s mellow, it’s magical and it could very easily be mistaken for a warm hug from your Lola.
With the popularity of ube continuing to climb, other u(b)-coming trends predicted for the vibey veg include cocktails with ube foam, ube tiramisu and ube mochi donuts. If you’re not into sweets, savoury dishes with ube (think grape-hued gnocchi or ube cheese bread) are on the rise.
In the end, ube’s glow-up is more than a TikTok trend. It’s a delicious reminder that some of the most exciting things on our plates come from cultures that have been doing it for centuries.
So, whether you're scooping, sipping or snapping it, one thing’s for sure: the purple reign is just beginning.
