Her lighter-than-air king cakes and milk buns are perfectly colored for Carnival season with deep purple ube and bright green pandan flavors. "People fall in love with it," she said.

“Pandan is cake flavor in plant form!” says Kelly Jacques, co-owner and chef at Ayu Bakehouse in New Orleans. “The sweet, vanilla aroma draws you in and feels familiar, while the grassy ...

And although it has the same light green hue as matcha, the taste is wildly different. “Pandan is cake flavor in plant form!” says Kelly Jacques, co-owner and chef at Ayu Bakehouse in New Orleans.