Ube Latte

Before you start

Ube is a purple yam widely used in Filipino desserts. Its flavor is mellow and sweet, somewhere between vanilla, coconut and chestnut, and it blends beautifully into milk. The best base for a latte is ube halaya, the cooked and sweetened ube jam sold in jars or made at home, because it brings real yam flavor and body at the same time.

The bright violet of café ube drinks usually comes from ube extract, a flavoring that often contains coloring. Cooked ube on its own gives a softer lilac-gray. This recipe gets its flavor from the halaya and treats extract as optional color and aroma. It is caffeine-free unless you add espresso, which works well but pushes the ube into the background.

Ingredients

• 2 heaping tbsp (about 45 g) ube halaya (purple yam jam)
• 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk
• 1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk — optional, depending on how sweet the halaya is
• ¼ tsp ube extract — optional, for color and aroma
• 1 pinch salt
• 30 ml (1 oz) espresso — optional; adds caffeine

Method

1. Put the ube halaya, condensed milk if using, salt and about 60 ml (¼ cup) of the milk in the saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring and mashing, until the halaya has softened into a loose purple paste, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the remaining milk and the ube extract, if using. Heat until steaming, about 65°C (150°F), stirring so the paste does not stick to the bottom.
3. Blend for 15 to 20 seconds with an immersion blender, or carefully in a countertop blender with the lid vented, until completely smooth. Halaya leaves small lumps if only whisked.
4. Froth the ube milk with a frother or steam wand until it has a layer of fine foam.
5. If using espresso, pull or pour it into the mug first. Pour in the ube milk, holding back the foam with a spoon, then spoon the foam on top.
6. Taste and adjust. Store-bought halaya varies widely in sweetness, so add a little more condensed milk or a few grains of salt as needed.

Tips for success

• Check the halaya label. Some jars are mostly sugar and coloring with little yam; one listing ube first will taste far better.
• Coconut milk and ube are a classic pairing. Replacing a third of the milk with coconut milk gives a richer drink.
• Keep extract to a few drops. Too much tastes artificial and turns the drink a hard, unnatural purple.

Substitutions

Ube halaya

Use 1 tbsp ube powder whisked with 30 ml hot water and 2 tsp sugar, or 40 g steamed, mashed purple yam with 2 tsp sugar. Purple sweet potato gives a similar color but a more earthy, less vanilla taste.

Whole milk

Oat milk and coconut drinking milk both suit ube. Almond milk is thinner and lets the yam taste a little starchy.

Condensed milk

Replace with 1 to 2 tsp sugar, or leave it out if the halaya is already sweet.

Variations

Iced ube latte

Blend the halaya with 60 ml milk, spoon it into a glass, add ice and 180 ml cold milk, then top with espresso if you like.

Ube coconut latte

Use half coconut milk and finish with toasted coconut flakes.

Troubleshooting

The drink is gray instead of purple

That is the natural color of cooked ube. For a brighter shade, add a few drops of ube extract or a pinch of butterfly pea powder.

Small lumps remain

Halaya was whisked rather than blended. Blend the milk and paste together until smooth, or press through a strainer.

It tastes starchy or flat

Too much plain yam or too little salt and sweetness. Add a pinch of salt and a spoon of condensed milk, and use a richer milk.

Storage

Serve the latte immediately. Refrigerate opened ube halaya in a sealed container and follow the jar's use-by guidance; homemade halaya generally keeps about a week in the fridge. Discard any jar that shows mold or smells sour.