What is ube? Ube is a starchy vegetable also known as purple yam — which is not the same as purple sweet potatoes, though they are similar and can be substituted in recipes.

Ube, a deep purple yam, is a widely used in the Philippines for desserts and pastries – the same way pumpkin is brought to life in muffins and pies in bakeries across America.

For dessert? There’s purple yam ice cream and purple yam cake. At your service: There’s no table service and expect plastic plates.

Breakfast is about to get a colorful glow-up, thanks to Trader Joe's new Ube Mochi Pancake and Waffle Mix. If you haven't heard of ube (pronounced oo-beh) before, it's a purple yam that hails from ...