Ube

Ube powder

When I was working in Singapore I bought some fancy bread that had purple filling.  I did ask "what's that? before purchase.  The answer was "Purple Yam".

Sadly it didn't taste of anything startling really,  but the purple was intense - and different.

Scouring the Philippino food shop in Ashburton one day I came across Purple Yam (Ube to give it its native name) powder and bought some. Only then did I research recipes.  It seems to be used in cake, biscuits, desserts and confectionary.- loaded up with sugar. I have been using it a tablespoon at a time when I want diversity in my breakfast porridge. This week I decided to use some to make yam jam - Ube Halaya. Recipes abound on t'internet.

Mine ended up too wet and didn't set nicely but was perfectly edible as a thick dessert soup. The problem was as my first experience no particular taste I could attribute to yam - the dessert tasted of sweetened condensed milk and coconut milk. It was however certainly distinctly purple. There is no question it contributes colour.

(Scully says "more please".)