Bohol's Inday's Ube Jam

Ube, also known as purple yam, is a tuber originally from the Asian tropics. Most of us are familiar with it's incarnation either as ice cream or jam, and these tend to be too sweet . Ube jam is particularly highly perishable, and is thus consumed with dispatch. When I think of ube, I associate it with the ube jams of Baguio City.

In a recent trip to Bohol, I was surprised to find our how important ube is to the province, a buffer to famine in the olden times. Boholanos are proud of their ube, and they claim that they produce the best ones. When they drop it accidentally, they kiss it as a sign of reverence. It is the provincial plant. It is included in the provincial hymn. A festival is held in the province in its honor every January. Bohol is the largest producer of ube in the country.

We were fortunate to have come across Inday's ube jam--creamy, not too sweet, allowing the delicate flavor of the purple yam to come through.

Inday's Ube Jam
#5 Mendoza Street, Tagbilaran City
(+63) 38 501-8747