Among the manyeye-catching foodsflooding social media feeds is one versatile, vibrantvegetable, which is transformed in various ways.

Perhaps you’ve come across bright purple donuts, ice cream, andhamburger bunswhile scrolling through Instagram.

Maybe you’ve encountered a box ofviolet-hued pancake mixwhile shopping at Trader Joe’s.

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While commonly associated with its distinctive purple shade, there’s more to ube than meets the eye.

Here’s what you’re gonna wanna know about this aesthetically pleasing ingredient.

The 6 Best Vegetables You Should Be Eating Every Day, Say Dietitians

What is ube?

purple yams

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While similar to purple sweet potatoes, ube has a darker, bark-like skin andgrows on a vine.

What are the health benefits of this root vegetable?

These water-soluble pigments have been shown to protect cells from damage because of free radicals.

chopped purple yam

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They’ve also been tied toreduced inflammationandprotection against disease.

Additionally, “ube is both blood sugar-friendly and gut-healthy,” Goodson notes.

toast with ube halaya

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How to eat ube

Another upside to ube is its incredible versatility.

“Cooking ube is no different than boiling a sweet potato,” says Goodson.