Philippines: Farmers race to keep up with global 'ube' craze
Ube, also called the purple yam, went from a nostalgic treat in the Philippines to an exotic item in cafes around the world. But the
Ube, also called the purple yam, went from a nostalgic treat in the Philippines to an exotic item in cafes around the world. But the popularity means the crop supply is under pressure. On a recent road trip home to Germany, cafe owner April Schoengen spotted a purple pastry at a gas station bakery. "It was ube, just as I suspected," she said, surprised at finding a Filipino-flavored dessert at a European gas station. Schoengen sells ube-flavored cakes and drinks at her Filipino-themed cafe, "Ube de Oro" in Bonn. When she opened two years ago, the cafe catered to a mostly Filipino clientele. Now, she's seeing more and more people from different backgrounds come in, intrigued by the lilac-colored treats. What is ube? When unfamiliar diners inquire about ube, she shows them a poster summarizing the crop's origins and cultural significance. Ube (pronounced oo-beh), also called the purple yam, is a naturally vibrant purple root crop from the Philippines. Subtly sweet and nutty, ube is typically served as jam, ice cream or dessert during festivities in the Philippines. For many indigenous communities, the tuber is a staple food and major source of protein, carbohydrates and antioxidants, according to Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero, Philippine agricultureundersecretary for high value crops. Elsewhere, ube provides purple cold foam sitting on top of an iced macchiato at cafes. It is also the ingredient that's making pancakes and waffles more vibrant and pretty on Instagram. Just like the ubiquitous matcha powder, ube is now found at cafes, bakeries and restaurants around the world.
Ube grows in the ground like other tubers Image: Kyoko Uchida/Visually/picture alliance Ube exports from Philippines slowing The crop has been so popular that it has been dubbed by the Philippines' trade department as a "star export." In 2025, the Philippines shipped 1.7 metric tons or $2.9 million (€2.57 million) worth of ube products (extracts, powders) abroad, with the bulk of the share going to the United States. This figure is 20% higher than the previous year. Despite the surge in popularity, the Philippines' production of ube has steadily slowed down. From a total harvest of over 30,000 metric tons in 2006, the Philippine Statistics Authority noted that only 12,400 metric tons of ube were produced in 2025. One of the hurdles that farmers are facing when it comes to ube production is the lack of planting materials, according to Grace Backian, director of the Northern Philippine Root Crops Research & Training Center. The research institution based in Benguet, north of Manila, is dedicated to innovating farming practices for root crops through research and training of farmers. "Since the foreign demand for ube has risen, the center has also received more requests for seedlings for expanding farmlands for ube," Backian told DW. Among those looking for seedlings are indigenous farmers from the provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac in Central Luzon. Global craving pressures ube growers Christopher Gomez, who works with farmers in processing and distributing ube, said that growers used to be able to keep a portion of their harvests to replant for the next season.
The BriefWire