The drink everyone is making this season — two of the most striking colors in the wellness world, layered in one glass. Vibrant green ceremonial matcha meets the soft, vanilla-nutty sweetness of ube (Filipino purple yam) over cold milk and ice.
The flavor is surprisingly balanced: ube brings a mellow, almost creamy sweetness that softens the matcha's natural bitterness, while the matcha keeps the whole thing from becoming too sweet. The layers hold beautifully and create one of the most photogenic drinks you can make at home.
Ingredients
- 2 g matcha (ceremonial grade recommended)
- 45 ml hot water (70–80°C)
- 1–1.5 tsp ube powder (pure, unsweetened)
- 150 ml milk of your choice (oat milk gives the most vibrant purple)
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (to taste)
- Ice
How to make
1. Prepare the ube milk Whisk ube powder into the milk until fully dissolved and the colour turns a deep, even purple. Add honey or maple syrup and stir to combine. The sweetener goes in here, not in the matcha — ube carries sweetness better and it keeps the matcha clean.
2. Build the base Fill a tall clear glass with ice. Pour the ube milk over the ice slowly. A clear glass is important — the layering effect is the whole point of this drink.
3. Make the matcha Sift 2 g of matcha into a small bowl. Add 45 ml of hot water at 70–80°C and whisk until smooth and lightly frothy. The matcha should be vivid green with no visible powder sitting at the surface.
4. Finish the drink Gently pour the matcha over the back of a spoon or pour slowly from a low height directly over the milk. The matcha will float on top, creating a clean green-over-purple layer. Serve immediately — the visual is best before stirring.
Tip Oat milk produces the deepest, most saturated purple with ube powder. Almond milk works but gives a slightly lighter lavender tone. Full-fat dairy milk produces a more muted purple but a creamier texture. All three taste great — choose based on whether you prioritise color or texture.
Important Ube powder quality varies significantly. Look for pure ube powder without added sugar or artificial color — the natural purple should be enough if your milk is creamy enough to carry it. Sweetened ube powder will make the drink heavy; reduce or omit the added honey if using it.
Which matcha to use For this recipe, the matcha needs to hold its own visually and in flavor against the sweetness of ube. We recommend our Ceremonial Matcha Shiro — its clean, smooth profile and naturally bright green color create the sharpest contrast against the purple ube layer, making the final drink look exactly as it should.
Variation For a hot version, warm the ube milk to 65°C and steam or froth it, then pour the matcha concentrate on top. The hot version is more aromatic — ube's vanilla notes come through more intensely with heat. For an extra visual layer, top with a small cloud of oat milk cold foam before the matcha.