Ube vs. Taro – What’s The Difference?

One of the most famous purple color ice cream flavors is raspberry and huckleberry. But did you know that there’s a purple-colored ice cream flavor called ube? Typically pronounced as ooh-bae, it is a purple-colored vegetable.

Ube is many times confused with another purple vegetable known as taro. Both of these vegetables belong to the same regions and look very much alike. This is the primary reason these two are confused with being the same.

So, what is the difference between ube and taro? Although both of these vegetables look to be the same, they have many key differences. Taro has tiny purple specks with beige flesh while ube is bright purple from the inside.

Ube is sweeter and used widely in desserts, while taro is more commonly used as an alternative for potatoes. Ube has its origins in the Philippines, while taro has its origins somewhere around southeast Asia. The differences and similarities do not just end there but are many more.

So, keep on reading this article to learn more about these two incredible vegetables.

Ube

Ube has its origins in the Philippines and is a purple yam. It works as a tuber which is used to preserve nutrients by plants during the wait for the regular growing season to come. Potatoes are also one of the commonly known tubers you may know about.

Ube has been widely used in Filipino cuisine as it is used to flavor and color cakes, puddings, and so much more. Filipino dessert is one of the most known farms for the production of ube. It has been widely bused with other plant-based diets in the Philippines and outside the Philippines.

Ube commonly comes with a mildly sweet flavor, and its flavor primarily depends on the region it was grown. It has a nutty and earthy flavor and tastes much like pistachio or vanilla. Due to this reason, it is one of the favorite ice creams that people love.

Finding a whole tube may be difficult without a local Asian grocer nearby; however, it can be ordered frozen or powdered, which works just well. Ube can be added to just about any sweet, and you will definitely like the distinct flavor it will add to the dish. One of the very popular applications would be ice cream.

It goes well with any frozen snack and turns the sweet into bright purple. You just have to make sure to add your powdered or frozen ube into the cream before the churning procedure. As a result of ube added, you will find yourself with delicious ice cream, which will have a totally distinct flavor.

Ube halaya, translated to ube jam, is the traditional way to turn ube into dessert. As the name already points that, it is a jam; however, it tastes more like a pudding cake with raspberry preserves. The process starts by adding condensed milk and mashed up in a saucepan with butter.

After all the ingredients are added, the mixture is stirred to thicken and then cooled and refrigerated. Toppings like grated coconut lactic and condensed milk are further added. Moreover, many other kinds of toppings can also be added, such as halo, a Filipino sundae, or any other.

Nutritional Facts

The serving size of one cup of cooked ube has the following nutritional value:

• Calories: 140 Kcal
• Carbs: 27 grams
• Protein: 1 gram
• Fat: 0.1 grams
• Fiber: 4 grams

As we have learned about ube in details regarding its nutritional facts, benefits and basic information now let’s move towards getting information related to taro.

Taro

Taro is the vegetable that is commonly confused with ube; however, taro is nowhere near to be a tuber. The part of taro, corn, is the most commonly eaten that works similar to a tuber. Taro has larger leaves which are in its corm part, and is used to make a dish similar to spinach.

Taro is grown from Hawaii to China and all across the Pacific Ocean. Its origins are not really known, but it came from near southeast Asia. Unlike ube, taro is not sweet but has more of a savory flavor.

Although taro is mildly sweet, it has a more savory taste after cooking. It is known for its ability to soak flavors and add other vegetables and sweeteners. Taro has a nutty flavor and has many applications.

One of the most common applications is taro chips. Taro chips are similar to potato chips by first slicing taro into small slices with a knife. Then the slices are fried for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees, and you have crispy fried taro chips in the end.

Another great way to eat taro is making taro latkes. The cheese grater is used to slice taro into small pieces, and starch is squeezed out of the slices. Cheesecloth is wrapped around taro and fried in vegetable oil, and then salt is added to make taro latkes.

Taro can be used as a savory dish and has sweet applications as well. Taro is added to the cake in the form of small slices to the mixture. The mixture is then baked to form a delicious purple-colored taro cake.

One of the most traditional ways to consume taro is Poi. A food processor is used to liquefy taro and water to have a smooth consistency. This dish is very simple to make but dates back many years, having a rich history.

Nutritional Facts

One cup of taro roots consists of the following nutritional value:

• Total Calories: 187 Kcal
• Protein: 1 gram
• Carbohydrates: 39 grams
• Fat: 0.1 grams
• Sugar: 1 gram
• Fiber: 7 grams

So, What’s The Difference Between Ube and Taro?

Concluding the above-mentioned article into key points:

1. Taro has tiny purple specks with beige flesh while ube is bright purple from the inside.
2. Ube is sweeter and used widely in desserts, while taro is more commonly used as an alternative for potatoes.
3. Ube has its origins in the Philippines, while taro has its origins somewhere around southeast Asia.

Sources:

• Foodsguy
• Honestfoodtalks
• Bonteacafe