Sago

Sago, also known as saksak, ravia, or sagu, is a starch that is extracted from the spongy core / pith of some species of tropical palm trees. It is a staple for lowlands people of New Guinea and Mluku Islands. Commercially, sago is available in small round pieces called 'pearls' which have been partially gelatinized through heating.

Usage

Sago is traditiionally cooked before being eaten - for example being mixed with boiling water to form a glue like paste papeda before being shaped into balls. Pancake shapes are also common. Pearls of sago boiled with milk and sugar can make a sago pudding. Depending on the dish, cassava starch / tapioca and potato starch may be substituted. Due to sago being more expensive to produce, some marketed sugo pearls are actually tapioca pearls instead. Compared to tapioca pearls, sago pearls are uneven in size, off-white, brittle, and cook quickly.^[1]

Making Sago

Palm trees from which sago will be made are not allowed to fully ripen their fruit, as completion of the ripening cycle depletes the palm starch reserves. Trees are felled when around 15 years old, and their stems split. The pith, which contains the desired starch, is removed and ground into a powder. The powder is collected in a cloth or sieve and mixed with water to release the starch. The water and starch mixture are left to settle where the starch sinks to the bottom. After being washed a few times, the sago starch is ready for cooking.

1. Real Sago vs Tapioca Pearls + Sago Pudding Recipe ↩︎