Ube and taro are often mixed up: two roots, desserts and drinks that are sometimes purple or lilac, and names that cross paths on café menus. Yet they are not the same plant. Here is how to tell them apart.
Two different plants
Ube is a yam, botanical name Dioscorea alata. Taro is another plant, Colocasia esculenta. They belong to different families: mixing them up is like mixing up a potato and a carrot.
The colour
This is the most visible difference. Ube flesh is an intense purple, thanks to its anthocyanins, natural pigments. Taro flesh is rather white to cream, sometimes dotted with small purple flecks. When a drink or dessert is a deep purple, it is usually ube. A paler lilac often comes from taro, or from added colouring.
The taste
Ube is soft and gourmet, between vanilla and hazelnut, with no bitterness. Taro has a more neutral taste, slightly nutty too, and a more floury texture.
The uses
- Ube: hot or iced lattes, pancakes, cakes, cookies, homemade ice cream, mochi and other bakes, where it brings its colour and softness.
- Taro: very common in bubble tea-style drinks and in savoury or sweet dishes of several Asian and Pacific cuisines.
How to check what you are buying
Look at the ingredient list. A real ube powder has a single ingredient: ube powder. In the Laya jar, it is 100% ube powder (Dioscorea alata), with no added colouring or flavouring.
Going further
Find out what ube is, how to make an ube latte or Laya ube powder.