{
  "id": 9887455,
  "title": "Is ube the new matcha? How this purple Filipino ingredient is taking over UAE",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/is-ube-the-new-matcha-how-this-purple-filipino-ingredient-is-taking-9887455",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-26T02:18:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/food/2026/09/26/is-ube-the-new-matcha-how-this-purple-filipino-ingredient-is-taking-over-uae/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Is ube the New Matcha? How the Purple Filipino Ingredient is Taking Over UAE\n\nThe popularity of ube, a starchy purple yam root vegetable from the Philippines, is skyrocketing in the United Arab Emirates. Chefs and food enthusiasts are incorporating the ingredient into a variety of sweet treats and hot drinks, much like matcha has done in recent years.\n\nUbe's popularity is attributed to its striking purple hue, but also its creamy texture and sweet flavor. It is being used in everything from cookies and cakes to drinks and desserts.\n\nAt Nina's Bakes in Abu Dhabi, Filipina owner Christina Tamayo has embraced ube in her recipes. She creates an ube and white chocolate chip cookie, an ube halaya jam, and other ube-infused treats. Tamayo describes the cookie as having a creamy, sweet and savory flavor that jumps between the distinct taste of the yam and the sweet vanilla.\n\nNette in Dubai has also jumped on the ube bandwagon, offering an ube matcha drink and other ube-inspired dishes. The ube adds a sweetness to the drink, but the earthy taste remains prominent. Their crinkle cookies with coconut cream cheese filling and burnt Basque ube cheesecake are particularly noteworthy.\n\nChef Kelvin Cheung, who owns Jun's in Dubai, uses ube in his dishes to magnify and complement the flavors without overpowering them. His ube calamansi spritz, gluten-free coconut ube pie, and ube flan cookies are all popular menu items.\n\nExperts believe that ube's vibrant color, unique taste, and nutritional value are driving its popularity. Chefs are using ube to create visually appealing and flavorful dishes, while also celebrating the cultural heritage of the ingredient.",
  "summary": "What goes into the making of a viral food trend? Is it the colour? Texture? Its versatility as an ingredient? Or is it a memorable flavour? And what makes ube , a starchy yam root vegetable native to the Philippines, fit these criteria? Its vibrant purple shade is an obvious reason, but ube's popularity is also owing to its velvety texture and sweet flavour. Much like how matcha has made its way…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Is ube the new matcha? How this purple Filipino ingredient is taking over UAE",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/is-ube-the-new-matcha-how-this-purple-filipino-ingredient-is-taking",
        "published": "2026-09-26T02:18:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}