marcelo,

i believe it's called "colacasia esculenta". See the link :)

happy gardening!
win

Here is a link that might be useful: TARO (colocasia esculenta)

The Malay word "Ubi" by itself describes an underground root, so includes many of the root veges native to island SEA.eg sweet potato, yam. To determine which variety, there are more specific names eg "Ubi kayu" is the malay/indonesian word for cassava/tapioca.

Hi, yes, ubi is a Filipino name for taro. We've never used it to described sweet potato or any other root vegetables. Where I'm from, it's used mostly as a sweet, like in jams, candies and even as a sweet coconut based porrage called ginataan.
When cooked Ubi turns purple. Don't handle it with bear hands, always use something to protect your hands and don't wipe your face while handling the root. It has a sap that stings. This trait disappears once the ubi is boiled.

I'm not familiar with the usage of the term in Indonesia or Malaysia.

in indonesia 'ubi' is sweet potato

Hey Everyone & Happy New Year!
In the Philippines "Ubi" or "Ube" is the name of a purple sweet potato, and is shaped just like a regular sweet potato having the same texture and skin, it's made into many Filipino foods like jams and a delicious ice cream. The taro root as you can see in the photo is not quite shaped like a sweet potato, and has a different taste and chewy texture. I have also never heard of "Ubi" used outside of Filipino dishes, but have found the use of Taro flavor in Asian gelatin.
Have A Good One!

What a big goof I did here. Yes I was thinking of that yam rather than the taro. I don't quite know how I got mixed up but there you go... Anyway, here's an excellent website to check veggies from the Phil.

http://www.tribo.org/vegetables/sampler.html

In Malaysia:
Ubi Kayu is tapioca
Ubi Kentang is potato
and the kinds of Ubi is endless, so unless you have the origin of the word identified, its going to be hard to figure our what that is ...

'Ubi' is a general term for a type of plant or vegetables in the tropical. 'Ubi Kayu'(local term in Malaysia) or cassava/tapioca is the most popular having botanical name of Manihot utilissima or Manihot esculenta. 'Ubi Keledek' refers to sweet potato and the botanical name is Ipomoea batatas. While 'Ubi Keladi' or Taro popularly known as yam having botanical name of Colocasia esculenta.

I thought ubi or ube in the Philippines referred to that big purple yam, not sweet potato.

You are right.. the big purple yam you referred to is one of the 'ubi' and that refers to Colocasia esculenta.. but there are other types of 'ubi'.. even potatoes (solanum tuberosum) are called 'ubi kentang' in Malaysia and Indonesia..

Here is a link that might be useful: Colocasia esculenta

I was thinking of the Dioscorea yam not Colocasia.

So 'ube' or 'ubi' in Malaysia can refer to many different unrelated root crops?

I have only seen ube used to refer to a purple-fleshed variety of Discorea in the Philippines.
This isn't Colocasia is it? I was pretty sure it was Discorea:

http://www.tribo.org/vegetables/ube.html

I hate how yam can refer to so many different plants.

I have never seen such yam before but maybe participants from Malaysia can help. Is the botanical name Dioscorea batatas? That is somehow interesting..

Ubi in the Philippines is the big purple yam that is used mainly to make jam. It is also one of the most common ice cream flavor (sometimes combined with macapuno) used in the country. I've been growing them for the last three years here in southern California and they can multiply rapidly.

Anyone have recipes to share?