Following the popularity of green desserts led by matcha, purple foods fronted by ube are spreading. Ube is a purple yam widely used in the Philippines, an ingredient known for its subtle sweetness and nutty aroma. Ube products are rolling out one after another, centered on cafes and bakeries.
According to the food industry on the 30th, beverages and dessert products using ube have recently been launched in many places. Starbucks Korea made its "ube Basque cheesecake," previously sold only at select stores, available at stores nationwide. A TWOSOME PLACE introduced four ube items, including "ube latte, caffè latte, and shake" and "spoonable ube abaq." Knotted released "ube milky cream donut" and "ube Dubai purple donut," among others, and Paul Bassett rolled out an ube caffè latte in line with its lavender seasonal theme in the same purple family.
Paris Baguette launched a fresh cream bread combining ube and custard cream. Convenience store CU built an ube series by sequentially releasing desserts using ube, starting with an ube Basque cheesecake and followed by roll cake, chapssaltteok, and brioche. Shinsegae Food introduced "ube cream mochi bread" through E-MART and Traders bakeries. Ube beverages and desserts are pouring out across all channels, including cafes, bakeries, convenience stores, and big-box retailers.
The industry is watching the speed of ube's rising popularity. Rather than ending with a single brand's hit item, products are launching simultaneously across various channels and evolving into a "lineup battle." A food industry official said, "Because it adds color and flavor to existing desserts, the burden of product development isn't heavy," and noted, "As an ingredient that makes it easy to expand a series lineup in a relatively short period, the pace of ube product launches is also accelerating."
This ube craze is also seen as an extension of the color trend previously led by matcha. While matcha expanded the market by leveraging a green, healthful, premium image, ube is stimulating consumer sentiment with its bold color and exotic image. On top of that, it is rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants such as anthocyanins, adding a health image as it aligns with the healthy pleasure trend of "enjoyably managing health."
The ube craze is no exception overseas. In the United States, Starbucks is gaining popularity with "ube coconut latte" and "iced ube coconut macchiato." Large U.S. retailers Trader Joe's and Walmart are expanding related product lineups such as ube ice cream and spreads. European retailer Lidl released an ube series in April, including ube chocolate and ube-coated pretzels and almonds.
According to CNN, the Philippines exported about 1.7 million kilograms of ube last year. That is an increase of more than 20% from the previous year. This indicates that demand for ube has increased in the global dessert market.
The industry expects competition to continue among plant-based ingredients centered on color. A franchise industry official said, "As food consumption once centered on functionality and nutrition expands to combine experience and visual elements, we're in an era where color has become important," and added, "The trend of planning products around color itself will continue."
Lee Eun-hee, a professor in the Department of Consumer Science at Inha University, said, "As consumption that involves posting and sharing photos on social media increases, color has become a key factor in consumer choice," and added, "Consumption that prioritizes visual experiences is highly likely to continue."