Is there really an ube craze?

Is there really an “ube craze”? Web search data suggest yes, but not in the way many might assume. We compared Google Trends search activity for ube in the Philippines and globally, benchmarking it against searches for fuel prices. Because Trends data are indexed and not directly comparable across countries, we standardized values into statistical scores to identify unusually high interest relative to each series’ own history. Globally, interest in ube has surged to exceptional levels. In March 2026, search activity peaks at 3.67, with several weeks above 1.7. This spike coincides with elevated global searches for fuel prices, yet attention to ube remains strong and even accelerates despite broader economic concerns. In contrast, the Philippine pattern is highly seasonal. Interest stays below average through most of 2025, then rises sharply in December, peaking at 3.24 in the week before Christmas before quickly declining in January. Unlike the more volatile patterns for fuel prices, ube searches in the Philippines are concentrated, predictable, and tied to holiday consumption cycles. Beyond the statistical pattern, however, there is an opportunity that may easily be missed. The first opportunity is exports. Rising global demand, especially in early year peaks, supports expansion into higher value processed products such as powders, purées, and flavorings. But exports alone risk a familiar pattern where the Philippines supplies inputs while others capture branding and value. More importantly, there is a larger opportunity in cultural ownership. Global demand is driven by novelty and ube’s current viral appeal, but without a strong narrative it can easily be absorbed into a generic Asian flavor category. The central risk is that global diffusion could be moving faster than Filipino definition. To fully capture value, ube must be treated as a cultural export. This requires building a clear Philippine origin for ube through geographic labeling, storytelling, and consistent branding, and shifting from raw ingredients to finished products that carry Filipino names, design, and cultural meaning.