The purple scoop pictured above isn’t something you’re likely to find at your local grocery store or even your local ice cream shop. It’s called Ube Ice Cream and it’s a very popular flavor in the Philippines. The sweet treat gets its unique color from the ube (“ooo-bee” or “ooo-bay”), an incredibly vibrant, sweet, purple yam used in a variety of Filipino desserts (like ube cake, ube buns, and ube macaroons ). Since we’ve never had Ube Ice Cream, we can’t attest to its flavor, but it sure does look good, especially with that oh-so-tempting drip about to fall off the right side!
If you’ve got a technical question about the ice cream making process or some other inquiry about the nuances of America’s favorite treat, chances are Ernie has the answer. He might not be able to answer all questions, but he’ll try his best and some may be featured on the Ice Cream Journal.