Nowadays, if you visit a café or restaurant, apart from the usual tea, coffee, and matcha, a bright pastel purple drink catches your eye. That is the viral sensation called ube. This purple yam is a staple from the Philippines and has slowly found its way to Kolkata cafes and restaurants. Its vanilla, coconut, white chocolate, and creamy earthy notes have made it a popular choice to please those with a sweet tooth. One is now increasingly experimenting with Ube and bringing in fusions with chocolate, matcha, coffee, and, of course, using it to make a variety of desserts. We take a look at some of the places in Kolkata where you can taste the new entrant in culinary trends.
How about mixing chocolate and ube together? With tradition meeting the emerging trend, the experimental fusion is sure to draw in a lot of curiosity. This indulgent and creamy purple and brown dessert in a box, called Ube Chocolate, is all about the rich taste of sweet ube and the sweet and bitter tones of chocolate. Available at Bubble n Tea Asian Café, GC Block, Sector 3, Salt Lake. Price for two (approx.) Rs 1000+
At The Daily café on Sarat Bose Road, one can find a range of interesting flavours fused with ube to bring foodies unforgettable drinks and desserts. The Ube Cloud is a combination of coconut water with iced ube foam, while the Ube Matcha brings together two of the hottest trends in town. The Ube Latte combines it with espresso and gives coffee lovers a new item to try. Also amp up your dessert choices with the innovative Ube tiramisu and Ube pancakes. At Sarat Bose Road. Price: Rs 395+ onwards
Kolkata’s very popular tea room Flurys has introduced its own Ube edit, a range of vibrant-looking and deliciously refreshing Ube-infused drinks. For those who prefer a cooler, the Ube passion spritz with its sparkling and fruity flavour is a major hit. Coffee lovers can take their pick from the hot or cold versions of Iced/ Ube Latte. Those who like to indulge themselves in thick shakes can try the Ube cheesecake frappe. And lastly, the Vanilla matcha ube is a master class in earthy tones. Available at Park Street, Purna Das Road, and Salt Lake outlets. Price: Rs 330+ onwards
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