"Is matcha over now?" The 'purple monster' shaking up the global dessert scene [Trend Recipe]

[Financial News] Picking up the baton from the green matcha that swept the global dessert market last year, the traditional purple ingredient ube (purple yam) from the Republic of the Philippines is rapidly emerging as a new key trend in the 2026 food and beverage (F&B) industry. With its vivid color and smooth sweetness reminiscent of vanilla, it is captivating both dessert brands searching for new plant-based alternatives and younger generations who are enthusiastic about social networking service (SNS) culture.
According to the food industry on the 21st, ube (purple yam), a traditional ingredient from the Republic of the Philippines, is becoming the latest global dessert trend this year. Ube (purple yam) is a type of purple yam mainly grown in the Republic of the Philippines and nearby regions. It is similar to sweet potato, but is characterized by a soft yet intense sweetness that evokes vanilla. Thanks to this mellow flavor, it has long been used locally in the Republic of the Philippines as a key ingredient in a wide range of desserts, including lattes and ice cream.
Several factors are driving the rise of ube (purple yam) as a global trend: its signature deep purple hue, growing worldwide interest in Asian-inspired ingredients, and new demand from the food and beverage (F&B) industry for plant-based products. In particular, despite being a natural ingredient, its striking, eye-catching purple color is fueling a craze for photo posts on SNS, leading to an explosion of related content. While it has long been a common staple crop in Southeast Asia, it is now being reinterpreted as a premium dessert ingredient, especially in the US, where the number of shops offering ube-based menu items is rapidly increasing.
The way popularity has naturally shifted from matcha, which dominated the global market last year, to ube (purple yam) has also played a major role. As vegan and the Healthy Pleasure trend of enjoying healthy habits continue, gluten-free and vegan desserts made with matcha have enjoyed major success. However, as matcha’s boom has begun to cool and the industry has started searching for new plant-based ingredients, ube (purple yam) has been chosen as a near-perfect alternative. Unlike matcha, which has a characteristic bitterness, ube offers a broadly appealing sweetness with little polarization in consumer preference, and is therefore seen as having far greater potential for expansion.
In the domestic market, a growing number of cafés and bakeries are quickly rolling out desserts made with ube (purple yam). Even so, some observers remain cautious about whether it can spread rapidly across the wider industry, including large franchise chains, due to complex import clearance procedures and uncertainty in the raw-material supply chain.
A source in the food industry said, "Matcha was already a well-known and widely recognized ingredient, whereas ube (purple yam) is still relatively unfamiliar to domestic consumers," but added, "What is clear is that its unique and attractive color is driving a surge in popularity, especially on SNS."
security@fnnews.com Park Kyung-ho Reporter