Ube is most reliably found at Filipino and Asian grocery stores, either as fresh whole tubers, frozen grated ube, ube powder, ube extract/flavoring, or ready-made ube halaya in jars. Outside Asian grocers, it's rarely stocked fresh in general supermarkets.
Fresh ube
Look in the produce section of Filipino or Southeast Asian grocery stores. Fresh ube keeps for several weeks in a cool, dark, dry place, similar to other yams. Once bought, see our how to cook ube guide for preparation.
Frozen grated or cubed ube
A convenient middle ground — pre-peeled and often pre-grated, frozen ube saves prep time and is common in the frozen aisle of Asian supermarkets, sold specifically for making ube halaya at home.
Ube powder
Dehydrated and ground ube, useful for baking (cakes, pandesal) and drinks like ube lattes, since it mixes easily without needing to cook a fresh root. Check labels — some "ube powder" products are blended with taro or artificial color; see our purple yam vs taro page to know what to check for.
Pure Ube — Purple Yam Powder (227g)
Non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan purple yam powder with no added sugar — a convenient way to get real ube flavor into lattes, baking, and smoothies without cooking the fresh root.
View on Amazon →Ube extract / flavoring
A concentrated liquid flavoring, often used in small amounts for cakes and frostings. As with powder, quality varies — real ube extract should list ube (Dioscorea alata) rather than only "natural flavors" and color.
Ready-made ube halaya
Jarred ube halaya is widely available at Filipino grocers and increasingly at larger international supermarkets. It's the fastest way to try authentic ube flavor (see our taste guide) without cooking from scratch, and can be used directly in ube ice cream or other recipes.
