Move over matcha: how ube cocktails and coffees are hitting the UK’s sweet spot

Brightly coloured yam, long enjoyed in east Asia, has been appearing in drinks, desserts – and, of course, TikTok feeds Bright purple coffees and cocktails made with a root vegetable called ube have hit the high street in the UK after the yam’s striking hue caused a sensation on social media. Many are calling ube the “new matcha”, and it has a nutty, creamy, sweet taste, like a mix between coconut and vanilla. Ube coloured and flavoured drinks became popular in the US last year, after an earl...

By Helena Horton