Ube

Ube (Purple Yam)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Dioscoreales
Family:	Dioscoreaceae
Genus:	Dioscorea
Species:	D. alata
Binomial name
Dioscorea alata L.

A piece of cake made with ube

Ube (or ubi) is the Filipino word for purple yam (Dioscorea alata). It contains pigments that gives its violet color.

In India, this vegetable is known as ratalu or violet yam. In Marathi this is known as KondFal (कोंदफळ). In Vietnam, it is called khoai mỡ. In other parts of the Malay world, the word ubi refers to any yam or tuber.^{[citation needed]} In Tonga: ʻufi (and is considered there as a royal food), in Hawaiʻi: uhi, in Tahiti: ufi. In the Philippines, ube is cooked with sugar and eaten as a sweetened dessert or jam called halaya ube which is a medium violet color. Ube is also an ingredient in the fruity dessert halo halo, another popular Filipino dessert. Ube is sometimes confused with the Okinawa sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas cv. Ayamurasaki).

In botany, this species is also known by the names "water yam" and "winged yam."

Usage

Ube jam is called Halaya ube in Tagalog

Ube is now used in a variety of desserts, as well as a flavor for ice cream, milk, Swiss rolls, tarts, cookies, cakes, and other pastries. Ube also sometimes is used in the Philippines to denote the colour purple or violet.

In Maharashtra, the stir-fried chips are consumed during religious fasting. Purple yam is also essential ingredient in Undhiyu.

See also

• Hopia, a Filipino pastry

References

• Dioscorea alata (TSN 43372). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 18 February 2006.

External links

• Asia Food Glossary Page