Dioscorea alata

Dioscorea alata – also called ube, ubi, uwhi, purple yam, or greater yam, among many other names – is a species of yam. The tubers are usually a vivid violet-purple to bright lavender, but some range from creamy-white to plain white. Although it is sometimes confused with taro and the Okinawa sweet potato beniimo , D. alata is also grown in Okinawa. Its origins are in the Asian and Oceanian tropics. Some varieties attain great size. A "Mambatap" greater yam grown in Maprik, East Sepik District, Papua New Guinea around 1939 was 3.5 m (11 ft) in length.

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Culinary Purple yams have edible tubers which have a mildly sweet, earthy and nutty taste, reminiscent of sweet potatoes or taro. The violet cultivars, in particular, turn dishes distinctively vivid violet because of the high amount of anthocyanins. Purple yams are also valued for the starch that can be processed from them. Purple yam is most common in Philippine cuisine (where it is known as ube or ubi). It is widely applied for many Philippine desserts, such as ube cake, ube cheesecake and ube crinkles, as well as an ingredient or flavor for ice cream, milk, donuts, tarts, jam and other types of pastries. It is often eaten boiled, baked, or as a sweetened dessert called ube halayá; the latter being a popular ingredient in the iced dessert called halo-halo. Purple yam desserts have more recently entered the United States through Philippine cuisine, under the Filipino name "ube". It is particularly popular due to the striking violet-purple color it gives to desserts. Purple yam is commonly confused with purple/violet varieties of sweet potatoes because of their similarities in color, taste, and culinary uses. However, like other yams, purple yam tends to have a moister texture than sweet potatoes. Purple yams also have higher anthocyanin content than sweet potatoes. They can otherwise be used interchangeably in most recipes. Ube halaya (mashed purple yam) from the Philippines Ube champorado from the Philippines Ube and muscovado piayas from the Philippines Okinawan sweet potato pancakes with coconut ube sauce A slice of ube crepe cake Purple yam cupcakes with flan top layers Filipino ube donut Ube Mamón Halo-halo with ube halaya Supplements, folk medicine and adverse effects Although available as a dietary supplement and used in folk medicine, there is no clinical evidence that D. alata has any therapeutic properties. Use of D. alata supplements may have adverse effects in people taking estrogens, anticoagulant drugs or during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Some people may have allergic reactions to D. alata supplements. D. alata has relatively high levels of oxalates (486–781 mg/100 g dry matter), which are associated with antinutritional effects and kidney stone formation. Other uses The color of purple varieties is due to various anthocyanin pigments. The pigments are water-soluble, and have been proposed as possible food coloring agents. D. alata is sometimes grown in gardens for its ornamental value.

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