Move over matcha: Ube satisfies Korea’s sweet tooth

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

Starbucks

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.

A Twosome Place

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.

Knotted ube milk cream donut and ube Dubai purple donut / Courtesy of Knotted

Knotted

Cafe Knotted, known for its donuts, has also embraced the ube trend. New menu items include the ube milk cream donut and the eye-catching ube Dubai purple donut. The cafe's drink selection features options such as a cream ube matcha latte, ube cafe latte, cream ube latte and a classic ube latte.

The Liter

Budget chain The Liter put its own spin on the trend with visually striking beverages. Its ube latte, ube matcha latte and unicorn ube cream latte not only offer a sweet, approachable flavor but also stand out for their vibrant, layered colors.

Ube banana cake / Courtesy of NAME iS MAVIN

Rogelato

Beyond major coffee chains, specialty dessert spots are also joining the ube craze. Artisan gelato shop Rogelato in Jongno District introduced an ube gelato perfect for the warm weather, offering a smooth and refreshing take on the flavor. Check @rogelato_seoul on Instagram for more information.

Cafe Matinée ube ice cream / Courtesy of Cafe Matinée

Cafe Matinée

Outside of Seoul, Cafe Matinée in Daegu incorporates ube into a soft-serve ice cream. Coffee lovers can also opt for an ube latte topped with ice cream. Check out @cafematinee_ on Instagram for more information.

NAME iS MAVIN

NAME iS MAVIN, a small cafe in Seoul's Mangwon District, has an extensive and creative ube menu. Not only does it have the classic ube latte, but it also offers a unique ube banana cake and ube ice cream topped with fresh seasonal fruits. Visit @name_is_mavin on Instagram for more information.

As Korea’s cafe scene continues to evolve, ube stands out not just for its striking purple color but for its versatility across drinks and desserts. For visitors and locals looking to try something new, this growing trend offers a flavorful and highly photogenic experience.

Kim Sur-hyun is a Korea Times intern.