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, a cooking ingredient known for its subtle sweetness and nutty aroma. Ube products are being rolled 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 nationwide. A TWOSOME PLACE unveiled four ube items, including "ube latte, cafe latte, and shake" and "spoonable ube abak." Knotted released the "ube milky cream donut" and the "ube Dubai purple donut," and Paul Bassett introduced an ube cafe latte to match 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 ube-based desserts, starting with an ube Basque cheesecake, then rolls, chewy rice cakes, and brioches. Shinsegae Food introduced "ube cream mochi bread" through E-MART and Traders bakeries. In effect, ube beverages and dessert products are pouring out simultaneously across all channels, including cafes, bakeries, convenience stores, and big-box retailers.
The industry is watching how fast ube's popularity spreads. Rather than stopping at a hit item from a specific brand, products are launching simultaneously across various channels, turning it into a "lineup competition." A food industry official said, "Because it's a method of adding color and flavor to existing desserts, the product development burden isn't heavy," and noted, "Since it's a material and supplies that allows relatively quick expansion of a series lineup, the pace of ube product launches is also accelerating."
This ube craze is also interpreted as an extension of the color trend previously driven by matcha. If matcha, with its green hue, grew the market by emphasizing health and a premium image, ube is stoking consumer sentiment with its bold color and exotic image. On top of that, it is rich in antioxidant components such as dietary fiber and anthocyanins, adding a healthy image as it aligns with the Healthy Pleasure (enjoyable health management) trend.
The ube boom is no exception overseas. In the United States, Starbucks is gaining popularity with its "ube coconut latte" and "iced ube coconut macchiato." Trader Joe's and Walmart, major U.S. retailers, have moved to expand their lineups of related products such as ube ice cream and spreads. Lidl in Europe released an ube series in April as new products, 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 figure is more than a 20% increase from a year earlier. It means demand for ube has grown in the global dessert market.
The industry expects competition among plant-based ingredients focused on color to continue. A franchise industry official said, "As food consumption centered on functionality and nutrition expands to combine experience and visual elements, it has become an era when color matters," 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 more consumers post and share photos on social media (SNS), color has taken root as a key factor in purchase choices," and noted, "Consumption that prioritizes visual experience is likely to continue."