The first time I ever saw a taro plant was in Hawaii. I think I re-read the sign twice to check the name placard. I didn’t realize that the plant had such huge, broad leaves! I guess I mainly thought of taro as that nutty but sweet root vegetable.
In my life, I’ve heard ube and taro get swapped around a lot. But they’re different root vegetables. Ube is much sweeter and richer. While they both have dull brown exteriors, ube often has purple flesh. This vibrant color adds much pizzazz to drinks and sweets.
I recently had a taro mochi bun from my local bakery. The purple topping made me think it was actually made from ube, but who am I to argue with the label? It’s exactly as advertised: a soft bun with the gooeyness of mochi and a sugary root vegetable crust.
Whatever the pastry’s true name, it was delicious!
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