Every now and then, an ingredient captures the attention of the coffee and cafe world, queue matcha entering the chat in late 2025.
However, there is a challenger matcha's TikTok ready, bright green, cold beverage dominance and it’s purple!
Introducing Ube, or purple yam, a starchy root vegetable (similar to a sweet potato) known for its vibrant purple colour, creamy nutty sweetness and versatility in cooking. It’ wildly popular in Southeast Asia especially in the Philippines.
Ube has been appearing in everything from pastries and desserts to specialty beverages across Australian cafes. Some are even calling it the new matcha. Well, we won't weigh in on that debate. But we understand the excitement.
At P&R, we love exploring flavours that bring something new to the cup. But rather than creating a drink that simply follows a trend, our Coffee Specialists set out to build something that celebrates both the ingredient and the coffee itself.
The result is the Raspberry Ube Shaken Latte.
Why ube, raspberry and coffee work well together
On paper, the combination feels unexpected.
The creamy sweetness of ube meets the bright acidity of raspberry, all layered around a delicious espresso shot of our Trailblazer Blend. After a few rounds of testing, it became clear that these flavours complemented each other so well.
The raspberry adds zingy freshness and highlights some of the natural fruit notes already present in our Trailblazer Blend. The ube brings sweetness and body, creating a smooth foundation without overwhelming the coffee.
It's colourful, refreshing, and surprisingly balanced.
Most importantly, the coffee remains the hero not being overwhelmed by sweetness or competing flavours.
The raspberry ube shaken latte recipe
Ingredients
- 1 x Trailblazer Double Espresso
- 100g milk of your choice (We used Oat milk)
- 20g raspberry jam or sweet coulis (we like one with seeds for added texture.)
- 40g ube syrup
- 1 freeze-dried raspberry
- Ice
The method
Step 1: Build the base
- Fill a glass with ice and pour over your milk.
- Gently add the ube syrup, allowing it to settle toward the bottom of the glass and create the first layer.
Step 2: Shake the espresso
- Add ice, the freshly brewed Trailblazer Double Espresso and raspberry jam to a cocktail shaker.
- Shake vigorously until the espresso becomes silky and lightly emulsified.
Step 3: Create the layers
- Slowly pour the shaken espresso mixture over the milk, maintaining the layered effect.
Step 4: Garnish
- Crush the freeze-dried raspberry and sprinkle over the top.
- Serve immediately.
A note from a coffee specialist
The raspberry component can easily be adjusted to suit your taste.
If you're chasing a sweeter, fruit-forward experience, increase the raspberry. If you'd rather let the espresso lead, keep it restrained and allow the fruit to simply accentuate the coffee's natural character.
That's how we prefer it.
The raspberry isn't there to dominate. It acts more like a spotlight, helping balance flavours already present in the cup.
More than just a trend
Sometimes the best drinks are the ones that surprise you.
The Raspberry Ube Shaken Latte pairs a visually striking ingredient with familiar cafe flavours to create something that feels both playful and considered. It's refreshing, layered and just a little unexpected.
This is a recipe worth shaking up at home if you're curious about the growing ube trend or simply looking for a new way to enjoy your espresso.
And if you're anything like us, you might find yourself making a second one tomorrow. 💜☕
