While matcha remains a trending flavor for drinks and desserts, the Philippine native crop ube is making its way beyond the local market, with its products now appearing in European stores.

Known for Filipino favorites such as ice cream, ube halaya, halo-halo, and bread, ube is celebrated for its violet color and sweet flavor.

In a CNA Today report, Dylan Yap, co-founder of Singapore-based drinks distributor JD SIP, shared that ube-flavored drinks have grown from being a niche choice to high-demand products, selling around 500 bottles a month.

“Initially, we reached out to many bars, but now, bars are looking for us,” he said.

In Europe, ube desserts are gaining popularity, including Basque cheesecakes in the United Kingdom, ube lattes in Paris, and ube doughnuts from a New York bakery with a 10,000-person waitlist, according to CNA Today.

In 2024, California-based flavor house T. Hasegawa USA even named ube “Flavor of the Year.”

Source: CNA Today