 | |
| Alternative names | Ube jam, halayang ube, purple yam jam |
|---|---|
| Course | dessert |
| Place of origin | The Philippines |
| Region or state | The Philippines |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Mashedpurple yam,coconut milk and/orcondensed milk,butter |
| Similar dishes | Taro purée |
Ube halaya orhalayang ube (also spelledhalea,haleya; from Spanish jalea 'jelly') is aFilipinodessert made from boiled and mashed purple yam (Dioscorea alata, locally known asube).[1] Ube halaya is the main base in ube/purple yam flavored-pastries andube ice cream. It can also be incorporated in other desserts such ashalo-halo. It is also commonlyanglicized asube jam, or called by its original native name,nilupak na ube.[citation needed]
ThePhilippines shows the highestphenotypic diversity of ube (Dioscorea alata), making it one of the likelycenters of origin of ubedomestication.[2] Remains of ube have been recovered from the Ille Cave archaeological site of Palawan (c. 11,000 BP).[3][4]
The main ingredient is peeled and boiledpurple yam which is grated and mashed. The mashed yam, withcondensed milk (originally sweetenedcoconut milk), are added to a saucepan where butter ormargarine had been melted. The mixture is stirred until thickened. Once thickened, the mixture is cooled down and placed on a platter or into containers of various shapes.[citation needed]
Ube halaya is typically served cold, after refrigeration. Optional toppings include browned grated coconut,latik, or condensed milk.[citation needed]
Ube halaya is a type ofnilupak (mashed/pounded starchy food with coconut milk and sugar) which has several variants that use other types of starchy root crops or fruits. Generally, the termhalaya is reserved fornilupak made with ube andcalabaza, whilenilupak is more commonly used for variants made with mashedcassava orsaba bananas. Variants made fromsweet potato andtaro can be known as eitherhalaya ornilupak.[citation needed]
Ube halaya also superficially resembleskalamay ube, but differs in thatkalamay ube additionally uses ground glutinous rice (galapong) and has smoother more viscous texture.[5][6]
Ube halaya served withmacapuno (coconut sport) is a notable combination known asube macapuno. The combination is also used in other ube recipes, like inube cakes and ube ice cream.[7][8]
Camote halaya, sometimes known as "camote delight" or "sweet potato jam", is a variant that uses mashedsweet potato (camote) instead of ube. It is prepared identically to ube halaya. It has a light yellow color to bright orange to purple color, depending on the cultivar of sweet potato used.[9][10][11] It is traditionally known asnilupak na kamote, especially when served on banana leaves.[12] Purple versions ofcamote halaya can sometimes be confused with or used as a substitute for ube halaya.[13]
Halayang kalabasa, also known as "squashhalaya" or "pumpkin jam", is a variant that uses mashedcalabaza (kalabasa). It is prepared identically to ube halaya. It is typically orange to light brown in color.[14][15]
Binagol is a unique version from theEastern Visayas which use mashedgiant tarocorms. It is distinctively sold in halved coconut shells. It can range in color from creamy white to brown.[16]
Nilupak na ube at gabi is aTagalog version that combines ube with taro corms.[17]
