By the UBE.AE team · Updated August 2026 · 7 min read
⚡ The Short Answer
No — ube and taro are not the same. They are completely different plants from different botanical families.
Ube is a sweet purple yam with vanilla notes. Taro (called gabi in the Philippines) is a starchy root with a mild, earthy, potato-like taste. Ube is naturally vivid purple; taro is not. You cannot substitute one for the other in recipes.
In This Guide
No. This is the most common ube question, and the answer is a clear no. Ube and taro are constantly confused because both have rough brown skin and both appear in purple-coloured drinks and desserts — but they are entirely different plants.
Ube (Dioscorea alata) is a true yam from the Philippines with naturally vivid purple flesh. Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is a corm — a swollen underground stem — with pale white or grey flesh. They belong to different botanical families and are no more related than a tomato and a potato.
The key fact
If you cut them open, the difference is obvious. Ube is uniformly deep violet inside. Taro is white or pale grey with small purple flecks. Ube is naturally purple; taro is not.
No — they taste noticeably different, and this is the difference that matters most when cooking or ordering drinks.
😋 Ube Tastes Like
🌿 Taro Tastes Like
In short: ube is a dessert flavour — sweet and aromatic. Taro is a neutral base — mild and starchy. This is why ube shines in cakes and lattes, while taro works in both savoury dishes and sweetened bubble tea.
This causes more confusion than anything else. If taro is white inside, why are taro milk teas and taro desserts always purple?
The answer: the purple colour is almost always added. Natural taro produces a pale beige or light grey colour when blended into a drink. Because customers came to associate taro with purple — largely due to confusion with ube — most commercial taro products now add artificial food colouring to meet that expectation.
Ube, by contrast, is naturally and vividly purple thanks to anthocyanins — the same antioxidant pigments found in blueberries. Ube needs no dye at all.
💡 Quick Test
A bright purple "taro" drink is coloured with dye. A naturally purple drink with a sweet vanilla flavour is ube. When in doubt, taste it — ube is distinctly sweeter.
Four names get tangled together. Here is how they actually relate.
🟣 Ube = Purple Yam
Dioscorea alata. The sweet, vivid purple yam used in Filipino desserts. This is what ube.ae is all about.
🟤 Taro = Gabi (same thing!)
Colocasia esculenta. "Gabi" is simply the Tagalog word for taro — they are identical. Starchy, mild, used in savoury Filipino dishes like laing and sinigang. So "ube vs taro vs gabi" is really just ube vs taro.
🍠 Purple Sweet Potato = Different Again
Ipomoea batatas. A sweet potato, not a yam. Smooth skin, drier flesh, uniform deep purple. Includes Okinawan beni imo. Often sold as "ube" outside the Philippines, but not the same plant.
💡 The Simple Rule
Taro = gabi (same plant). Ube = purple yam (sweet, purple). Purple sweet potato = a third, separate plant. Only ube gives you that vivid purple and the sweet vanilla dessert flavour together.
Is taro ube or gabi? Taro and gabi are the same thing — "gabi" is just the Tagalog name for taro. Ube is a different plant entirely. So taro is gabi, and neither is ube.
What is purple taro in Tagalog? Taro is called gabi in Tagalog. There is no separate word for "purple taro" — most purple-looking taro is coloured. The naturally purple root Filipinos prize is ube (ubi), the purple yam.
🟣 Ube Is Best For
🟤 Taro Is Best For
⚠️ Do Not Substitute
You cannot swap taro for ube in a recipe. A recipe built for ube needs its purple colour and sweet vanilla flavour — taro gives a pale, starchy, bland result. Always use real ube powder or extract for ube recipes.
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Is ube like taro?
Only superficially. Both are tubers with brown skin used in Asian desserts, but ube is a sweet purple yam while taro is a mild, starchy corm. They look, taste and cook differently.
What is the difference between ube and taro in taste?
Ube is sweet with vanilla, coconut and nutty notes. Taro is mild, earthy and starchy like a chestnut. Ube is dessert-like; taro is more neutral.
Is ube or taro better?
Neither is "better" — they suit different things. Ube wins for desserts, lattes and anything where you want natural purple and sweetness. Taro wins for savoury cooking and as a neutral bubble tea base.
Is ube a purple sweet potato?
No. Ube is a yam (Dioscorea alata); purple sweet potato is a sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). Ube has rough bark-like skin and moister flesh. They are often confused but are different plants.
Is taro the same as gabi?
Yes. Gabi is simply the Tagalog (Filipino) word for taro. They are the exact same plant, Colocasia esculenta.
Can I use taro powder instead of ube powder?
No. Taro powder is pale and starchy and will not give the purple colour or sweet flavour a recipe expects from ube. Always use real ube powder or extract.
Now you know the difference
Explore ube recipes or learn where to buy real ube in the UAE.