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Sago/ˈseɪɡoʊ/ is astarch that comes from thespongy centre of tropicalpalm stems. In many cases, it comes fromMetroxylon sagu. It is a majorstaple food for many people living inNew Guinea and theMoluccas. It is calledsaksak,rabia, andsagu in those areas.
The largestsuppliers are usually inSoutheast Asia, particularlyIndonesia andMalaysia. Big quantities of sago are often sent toEurope andNorth America forcooking purposes.
It is traditionally cooked and eaten in various forms. It can be rolled into balls by boiling it in hot water. It forms aglue-like paste (papeda), or as apancake.
Sago is often sold in the form of "pearls". These small rounded starch becomegelatinized by heating. Sago pearls can be boiled with water or milk and sugar to make a sweetsago pudding.[1] Sago pearls look similar to other pearled starches like pearls made out ofcassava starch (tapioca) andpotato starch. They may be used interchangeably in some dishes or snacks.
