Recently, the world has fallen in love with ube.
While ube has been popular in the Philippines and the United States for years, it is still a relatively new ingredient in Europe, including Austria. However, interest is growing quickly, especially in urban food scenes, specialty cafés, and social media-driven food trends. Filipino farmers struggle to keep up with the demand and generate little profit from the global discovery.
In cities like Vienna, Berlin, and Paris, ube is beginning to appear in desserts, lattes, and modern fusion cuisine. From ube lattes and ube cakes to ube ice cream and desserts, what was once a familiar staple in Filipino households has become a global trend.
While we appreciate seeing Filipino culture gain recognition, for many of us, ube was never a trend. It was already part of our heritage.
More Than Just a Flavor
Ube has always been present in Filipino life — birthdays, family gatherings, celebrations, and shared moments at home.
It is in halo-halo on warm afternoons. It is in desserts made with care by parents and grandparents.
For Filipinos living abroad, these small things carry even more meaning. They remind us of where we come from.
Why Ube Became Our First Collection
When we started Ligaya Apparel, we didn’t want to follow trends. We wanted to tell a story.
A story about Filipino identity, Filipino heritage, and what it means to grow up or live abroad while staying connected to your roots.
That is why when Ligaya Apparel launched in 2022, ube was part of that launch.
The Ube T-Shirt and Ube Hoodie were not just products — they were the beginning of our story as a brand.
For Filipinos worldwide, ube is more than a color or flavor.
It is a memory.
It is home.
It is culture.
