"It Takes Three Times Longer to Source Ingredients"... 'Ube Craze' Rivals Matcha in Global Popularity

'Purple Yam' Ube Gains Spotlight for Vibrant Color and Health Benefits
Product Launches Surge in Korea Following Global Craze
Raw Material Supply Under Close Watch... Attention on Long-Term Trend Potential

"After identifying the trend, it took about three times longer than usual to secure the necessary ingredients. Because fresh cream bread is produced in such large volumes, it took even longer to source the raw materials in bulk."

Starbucks Ube Basque Cheesecake. Starbucks Official Website.

'Ube', which imbues drinks and bread with a rich purple hue, is gaining global popularity. Riding the wave of social networking services (SNS), it has entered not only markets in the United States and the United Kingdom but also the Korean dessert market.

According to the food industry as of May 10, Yonsei Dairy's 'Yonsei Milk Ube Fresh Cream Bread', launched on April 29, sold over 50,000 units within just four days. Yonsei Dairy reported facing challenges while sourcing Filipino ube powder, the key ingredient, ahead of the launch. A Yonsei Dairy representative stated, "The response has been better than expected," adding, "We are working to ensure a stable supply of ube raw materials."

On the 29th of last month, Yonsei Dairy released the 'Yonsei Milk Ube Fresh Cream Bread'. Provided by Yonsei Dairy

Trend Spreads to Korea After US, UK, and Japan... New Products Released One After Another

Ube is a root vegetable also known as 'Purple Yam', which closely resembles the purple sweet potato. The Philippines is known as the primary production region, though it is also cultivated in other Southeast Asian countries and China. With its strong vanilla aroma and subtle sweetness, ube is used to make lattes when combined with milk, or as an ingredient in breads paired with cheese or fresh cream. Even a small amount lends a vivid purple color, making it suitable for current trends that emphasize visual appeal. As a plant-based ingredient, ube has also gained attention as a health food, being effective in lowering cholesterol levels and reducing chronic inflammation that leads to cardiovascular disease.

For these reasons—its color and flavor—ube is seen as the next trending ingredient after matcha, which was previously popular as a wellness food for its green color.

Often called the 'second matcha', ube first gained traction overseas through word-of-mouth on SNS in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan. In 2020, Trader Joe's in the US began popularizing ube with products like ube ice cream and ube pancake mix. While interest was gradually growing, Starbucks in the US sold ube menu items at select Reserve stores last year, and in March this year, introduced products such as 'Ube Coconut Macchiato' at regular stores, further driving the trend. Costa Coffee in the UK also released ube hot chocolate this year, while in Japan, convenience stores have launched ube-based desserts that have attracted significant attention.

In Korea, ube-related products are now being launched in rapid succession. Last month, Starbucks offered the 'Ube Basque Cheesecake' at 100 select locations before expanding it nationwide within ten days. In the same month, Paris Baguette released 'Ube Fresh Cream Bread' and 'Ube Latte', while Noted introduced two types of ube donuts, such as 'Ube Milky Cream Donut', and four ube beverages. Twosome Place and Paul Bassett also launched 'Ube Cafe Latte' that month. On the 6th, Tim Hortons released three new ube menu items under the concept of 'color therapy combined with the joy of drinking'. Paik's Coffee plans to launch five new ube beverages, including ube latte, in mid-May.

Noted (from left), Paris Baguette, and Starbucks recently launched new products using Oobe. Provided by each company

Supply Issues in the Philippines, the Country of Origin... "Stable for Now in Korea"

With the global ube craze, supply issues have already emerged in international markets. According to CNN, citing data from the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Philippines exported 1.7 million kilograms of ube last year, a 20.4% increase from the previous year. Of this, about half—worth approximately 1.5 million dollars—was shipped to the United States, with the remainder exported to Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and other countries.

Ube takes at least nine months to cultivate and is vulnerable to climate change, making supply instability a potential concern. In fact, poor harvests over the past two years have led to reduced supply, and because of the long cultivation cycle, Filipino farmers have been reluctant to grow ube, prompting the government to actively encourage its cultivation. Amid these poor harvests and rising global demand, some reports have noted the unusual situation of the Philippines importing ube grown in Vietnam to meet overall demand.

Given the rapidly changing market for raw materials, Korean food service companies are monitoring the situation closely. Typically, Korean companies import ube concentrate from the Philippines and other countries for beverages such as ube latte and use ube powder in bread products. While supply is currently sufficient, they are preparing for possible changes in the market.

A representative from Noted, which launched ube donuts, said, "There was a temporary surge in market demand for ube raw materials around March and April, leading to some fluctuations in supply," but added, "Currently, operations are stable." A Twosome Place spokesperson also stated, "There have been no supply difficulties severe enough to disrupt product operations so far," adding, "We are aware that global interest in ube is growing, and related raw material demand is increasing."

A sourcing manager at another food service company that recently launched new products commented, "At the moment, sales volume is not high, so there are no production difficulties. However, since ube is not an ingredient that can quickly scale up supply, the overall market atmosphere remains tight."

Industry insiders say the ube trend is still in its early stages in Korea, and it remains to be seen whether it will be a short-lived fad or develop into a mid- to long-term trend. A food service company representative observed, "While there is interest among Millennials & Gen Z, the situation is different from the 'Dubai Chewy Cookie (Dujjonku)' craze, when demand for raw materials was so high that it disrupted nationwide supply. Considering that matcha became a trend because of its color and flavor, ube, which is visually striking, might follow a similar trajectory."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.