Where to Find: Okinawa/Hawaiian Sweet Potato, aka Ube

Does anyone know where I can buy Okinawa/Hawaiian sweet potatoes, which are sometimes called (mistakenly, from my understanding) ube?

I don't even know if they're in season now, but I'm thinking of making a pie, similar to the Bob's Slice of Heaven Pie at Bob Chinn's, for Thanksgiving.

I checked for them at Super H a few months ago, but no luck.

You never know, the guys over at Tiki Terrace might be of some help. They say they serve Hawaiian food. www.thetikiterrace.com (847)795-TIKI They're right down from you.

Wow, I confess I had to google this, and now that I've seen it I'm gonna hunt it down.

If you don't mind jarred ube, you can pick up some at UniMart or any Filipino store. Check in the aisle where jarred fruits and beans are. Jarred ube is commonly used in desserts like halo halo. Otherwise, those stores may have some ube in other forms.... it doesnt hurt to check.

Unimart One Stop Shop
5845 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL
(773) 561-8667

7315 W. Dempster Ave
Niles, IL
(847) 663-8388

1038 W. Golf Rd
Hoffman Estates, IL
(847) 755-1082


Bel's Food Mart
3518 Dempster St
Skokie, IL
(847) 559-1618

Oakton Oriental Store
4515 Oakton Ave
Skokie, IL
(847) 673-3775

Ramz Oriental Store
3538 W. Lawrence Ave
Chicago, IL
(773) 539-4729

Three R Foods
9058 W Golf Road
Niles, IL
(847) 297-8400

Thanks for the info....honestly, I'm not even sure what the difference is and I'm not even sure which one is in the pie at Bob Chinn's.....all I know is that it's totally worth the hassle/mediocrity of Bob Chinn's!! It's got coconut in it, and a layer of custard.

ETA: Okay, I found a pdf of a sample menu from the restaurant; it's actually called "Slice of Paradise Pie" and here's the description: "From the
Japanese island, Okinawa, this purple filling has a sweet macadamia nut crust topped with a coconut milk pudding & fresh whipped cream."

So I guess it is the Okinawa sweet potato.

The Okinawan tuber has lighter and smoother skin than ube. Ube has a rougher and darker exterior similar to Taro. They are not the same root. I've seen the lighter version fresh in the produce section at Tai Nam, although I wouldn't be surprised if carried have both. I can't tell you for certain if it's the Okinawan variety, though.

Either way, it looks like both varieties are used as an ingredient with desserts, and will most likely serve as a good substitute for each other.

Tai Nam
4925 N Broadway

Bob Chinn's- mediocre? Totally disagree.

Well, I don't know if mediocre was my best description. They have very good, very fresh fish. They prepare it competently- you're not going to get any ground-breaking preparation there, but usually it's done very well.

I just don't know if it lives up to the hype and the 2-hour wait (although I haven't waited more than 30 minutes there in years.)

Either way, that pie totally makes it worth it.

Thanks abe, didn't mean to meander off the subject but i was wracking my brain thinking of who else does anything like BC's does. Yes, a hassle and all, but anyway...Good luck finding your sweet potatos. Did you try calling Chinn's? I'll ask my lovely- she works PT for Asian Foods, a division of Sysco.They have everything!!!