Is Ube the Next Matcha? Purple Yam Trend, Market & Pakistan Opportunity (2026 Research)
Ube (pronounced oo-beh) is a purple yam from the Philippines that is suddenly everywhere — in lattes, cookies, ice cream, cakes and smoothies. Trade magazines are now asking one question: is ube the next matcha? In this ChiltanPure research report we compare ube with matcha, look back at earlier superfood waves like spirulina and moringa, and ask what all this means for Pakistan.
What is ube?
Ube is the purple yam Dioscorea alata — also called violet yam or water yam. It is not the same as purple sweet potato or taro. It has been an everyday food in the Philippines for centuries, best known as ube halaya (a sweet purple jam) and in the famous dessert halo-halo. For export it is usually sold as powder, purée, paste or flavour extract.
- Colour: vivid violet to lavender, from natural plant pigments called anthocyanins — no dye needed.
- Flavour: mild, nutty and naturally sweet, with hints of vanilla, coconut and pistachio. Often compared to sweet potato.
- Texture: cooked ube is smooth, dense and creamy, like mashed sweet potato; the powder blends silkily into milk.
- Nutrition: contains anthocyanins (antioxidants), fibre, potassium and vitamins A, C and E.
- Caffeine: none — so it suits children and evening drinks.
Ube vs matcha at a glance
| Ube (purple yam) | Matcha (green tea) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Purple yam tuber, cooked, dried and milled | Shade-grown tea leaf (tencha), stone-ground to powder |
| Colour | Violet / lavender (anthocyanins) | Jade green (chlorophyll) |
| Flavour | Mild, nutty, sweet; vanilla & coconut notes | Grassy, umami, slightly bitter |
| Caffeine | None | Yes |
| Heritage | Philippine staple for centuries | Chinese origin; in Japan since the 12th century |
| Main producer | Philippines — Central Visayas 33%, Calabarzon 13%, Cagayan Valley 12% | Japan (Uji/Kyoto, Shizuoka, Kagoshima); China rising |
| Main buyers | USA, UK, Italy, Middle East, Japan, China | USA (>30% of Japan's exports), Taiwan, Europe, Gulf |
| Trade size | ≈ USD 3 million exports (2025) — very early stage | ≈ USD 500 million Japan exports (2025) — mature |
| Supply risk | Harvest falling; fake “ube flavour” made with dye | Tencha shortage; price about 6× in one year |
| Taste appeal | High — tastes like familiar desserts | Acquired taste |
The superfood waves: spirulina → moringa → matcha → ube
Every few years one colourful “superfood” takes over menus and social media. Here is how the four compare today:
| Superfood | Global wave | Market size 2025 | Growth forecast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirulina (blue-green algae) | Health-food niche from the 1970s; superfood wave 2005–2016 | USD 683 million | 9.5% a year |
| Moringa (drumstick leaf) | Western superfood wave ~2013–2019 | USD 10.4 billion* | 9.0% a year |
| Matcha | Western cafés from 2006; boom since 2014; shortage 2024–25 | USD 3.67 billion | 6.5% a year |
| Ube | US bakeries ~2018–2024; global “next matcha” hype from 2025 | USD 3.06 million (exports only) | 6.9% a year |
*Moringa ingredients market, including oil and extracts. Bars are on a log scale for readability.
How long has ube been growing in the Philippines?
Ube has been farmed in the Philippines for centuries, but it only became an export product recently. Production has actually been falling while world demand rises:
| Year | Philippine ube harvest |
|---|---|
| 2021 | more than 15,000 tonnes |
| 2022 | 13,535 tonnes |
| 2024 | 13,382 tonnes |
| 2025 | 12,483 tonnes (−6.7%) |
A June 2026 USDA report blames scarce certified planting material, small scattered farms, weak post-harvest drying and storage, and the lack of a formal definition of “ube” — which lets dye-based “ube flavour” products compete with the real thing. The Philippine government has started distributing 60,000 certified planting materials to more than 900 farmers. In 2025 more than 60% of ube exports (about USD 1.86 million) were fresh, frozen or dried ube; the rest were finished products.
The media hype: how big, and how long will it last?
- Google search interest for ube jumped worldwide from February 2026.
- In spring 2026 Starbucks UK and Costa Coffee added ube drinks; UK health store Holland & Barrett began selling ube powder.
- In April 2026 FoodNavigator, BeverageDaily and Bakery&Snacks all ran “Is ube the next matcha?” stories.
- Ube cafés and dessert shops are now appearing in India, the Gulf and Europe.
- GlobalData finds more than 60% of Gen Z and millennials discover new flavours on social media — and ube's purple colour is made for Instagram and TikTok.
Which countries come next?
Already active: USA, UK, Italy, the Middle East, Japan, China, Germany and India.
Likely next: the Gulf states (very fast matcha adopters — Saudi matcha imports reportedly rose about 900% in 2025), Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam — and Pakistan.
Pakistan: matcha came, ube hasn't — yet
| Tea drunk per year | 260,000+ tonnes; retail tea market over USD 1.6 billion |
| When matcha arrived | Around 2017, in upscale cafés of Karachi and Lahore; by 2025 “in trend” in Islamabad |
| Matcha cup price | Rs 700 – 1,200 (vs Rs 100 – 250 for dhaba chai) |
| People who have tried matcha | Less than 1% — still a niche, 100% imported |
| Matcha import figures | Not reported separately — customs records matcha under green tea (HS 0902) |
| Ube in Pakistan today | No mainstream ube brand found in our October 2026 market scan |
| Can it be grown here? | Needs field trials. The same yam is grown in India (Gujarat's “ratalu”) and likes warm, wet summers. |
How much ube could Pakistan import?
This is a ChiltanPure estimate. We assume about 2,000 premium cafés, bakeries and dessert shops in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, each ube latte using about 10 g of powder, plus 100 g retail packs for home use.
| Scenario | Outlets selling ube | Café use | Retail | Total per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 100 (5%) | 4.4 t | 0.5 t | ≈ 5 tonnes |
| Base | 240 (12%) | 10.5 t | 2 t | ≈ 12.5 tonnes |
| Aggressive | 500 (25%) | 21.9 t | 6 t | ≈ 28 tonnes |
Why ube can win: colour + taste + versatility
Ube's attractive purple colour makes any food look special, and its sweet, familiar taste works for every age group. It already appears across the whole food industry:
- Drinks: ube lattes (hot and iced), smoothies, milkshakes, juices
- Bakery: cookies, biscuits, cakes, cheesecakes, macarons, pancakes
- Desserts: ice cream, frozen yogurt, mochi, halaya jam
- Savoury & novelty: ube noodles, breads, even purple-veined cheese
ChiltanPure: bringing ube to Pakistan first
ChiltanPure is currently working to become Pakistan's ube pioneer — the first brand to launch genuine, dye-free ube products in the country. The work is under process:
| Phase | What we're doing | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sourcing & testing | Sourcing genuine ube powder from Philippine processors and testing colour and purity (no synthetic dye) | In process |
| 2. Recipes & packaging | Ube latte premix, pure ube powder and ube cookies; food-authority-compliant bilingual labels | In process |
| 3. Pakistan launch | Launch on chiltanpure.com and our Lahore store | Coming soon |
| 4. Café & bakery supply | Supplying cafés, bakeries and ice-cream parlours in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad | Planned |
| 5. Local cultivation trial | Exploring a pilot to grow purple yam in Pakistan with agriculture partners | Planned |
The verdict: is ube the next matcha?
In visibility, yes. Ube has the same eye-catching colour, the same latte format and the same café adoption that made matcha famous. In scale, not yet — ube's trade is still around one-hundredth the size of Japan's green tea exports, which puts ube roughly where matcha was a decade ago. That gap is exactly the opportunity. Ube may even spread faster than matcha, because it is sweet, caffeine-free and loved by children and adults alike.
The main risks are fake “ube flavour” products made with purple dye, Philippine supply shortages and price spikes (as happened with matcha), and import costs. Genuine, tested ube is the best way to stand out — and that is the standard ChiltanPure is building to.
Frequently asked questions
Is ube the same as taro or purple sweet potato?
No. Ube is a true yam (Dioscorea alata). Taro is a different plant, and purple sweet potato belongs to the morning-glory family.
What does ube taste like?
Mild, nutty and naturally sweet, with notes of vanilla, coconut and pistachio.
Does ube contain caffeine?
No. Unlike matcha, ube is caffeine-free.
Where does ube come from?
Mostly the Philippines, especially the Central Visayas region (Bohol and nearby islands).
How long will the ube trend last?
We expect the peak hype window to run roughly 2026–2029. Ube will become a lasting staple only if Philippine supply grows.
Is ube available in Pakistan?
Not yet from a mainstream brand. ChiltanPure is working to launch Pakistan's first genuine ube range.
Sources
- SunStar — PH ube exports hit $3.06M in 2025
- Context.ph — USDA on the Philippine ube sector (June 2026)
- Inquirer Business — Ube's global appeal takes root
- FoodNavigator — The next matcha? Ube surges in popularity
- Fruit Processing — GlobalData on ube's rise
- Euronews — Ube over matcha?
- Gulf News — Matcha mania sparks global shortage
- Korea Herald — Japan's record green tea exports
- SNS Insider — Global matcha market
- IMARC — Moringa ingredients market
- Profit (Pakistan Today) — Matcha in Pakistan
- Arab News Pakistan — Matcha coverage
- Specialty Produce — Ratalu purple yam
Research compiled by ChiltanPure, October 2026. Pakistan import scenarios and the hype-window forecast are ChiltanPure estimates.