Move aside, matcha green – there’s a new hue in town. Ube is taking over and turning your Insta-bait alt-milk lattes a lush purple.

What is ube?

Ube is a starchy root vegetable with a deep purple colour, native to the Philippines. While it’s often compared to or confused with taro, it’s not the same thing – it’s a type of yam, while taro is not actually in the yam fam(…ily), and ube is naturally sweeter. As delicious. contributor Mark Mariano explains, its nutty flavour is a great foil for sweetness, balancing out sugary notes and adding dimension in anything from baked goods and soft serve to beer and the iconic Filipino dessert halo halo – where a scoop of ube ice cream on top is non-negotiable.

Related story: What is ube? The classic Filipino ingredient explained

 

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So what is ube doing in my drink?

Looking damn good, that’s what. And matcha needn’t worry its frothy little head about the competition either – as the Joker and Daphne from Scooby-Doo have always shown us, purple and green look great together, so it’s not just coffee getting a violet makeover. Alongside the so-hot-right-now strawberry matcha, ube-matcha iced lattes are having a moment too.

Seriously. Check out the ube lattes at Ceree in Melbourne…

 

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The aptly (and adorably) named Jacaranda at Western Sydney cafe Agnes Moon:

 

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At Balibola in Melbourne and Bali:

 

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At Lola’s in Brisbane, long a destination for colour-loving Instagrammers:

 

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This ube cold foam matcha latte at impossibly elegant Brisbane bakery Beurre is better than me, and it knows it:

 

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And Adelaide’s Lunar Landing keeps it simple with this ube latte, letting the colour speak for itself. (They also have an ube tiramisu.)

 

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They may not be new on the scene, but ube lattes – whatever you mix them with – are definitely shaping up as one of the drinks of the summer.

Related story: House of Papi is Marrickville’s new Filipino bakery with Bega cheese doughnuts