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A ground substance that is a purple colored starch made from the meat of purple yams, a tuber that has a gnarled appearance. It is commonly used to add a mildly sweet flavor and a slightly purple color to foods such as sweet desserts, cakes, candy, ice cream, and jams. Also referred to as ubi, this powder is made from a yam tuber grown in Asia that is different in appearance from the Okinawan purple sweet potato, but is also known as a purple yam. Instead of the smooth skin of the Okinawan yam which is actually a sweet potato, this tuber is rough skinned and grows on a vine, typical of an Asian yam. Common in the Philippines, the ube is served as a potato dish as well as an ingredient for other savory foods.