Go Back
+ servings

Sago and Gulaman

The Filipino Sago and Gulaman is a beverage made of small gummy-like balls and gulaman is agar-agar or the Filipino gelatin in a syrup made from brown sugar. So, when you put these simple ingredients together and chill it, then it becomes an unforgettable beverage or dessert. My son Tim always asks for this when we’re at Filipino restaurants. I learned from mom and recreated my sons’ favorites including this much-loved beverage at home for my family. This is an Asian in America recipe by Elizabeth Ann Quirino. Serves 2 to 4 for a snack or beverage.
Prep Time35 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Beverages, Dessert, Drinks, Snack
Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino
Keyword: Filipino Sago and Gulaman Dessert Drink
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 418kcal
Author: Asian in America - Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Ingredients

  • 2 whole gulaman (agar-agar) bars colored or white-colored
  • 3 cups water for cooking gulaman
  • 2 to 3 cups cooked sago bottled in syrup
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 cups water for syrup
  • 1 teaspoon banana flavor extract
  • 1/2 cup for each glass crushed ice

Instructions

  • Prepare two tall or parfait glasses about 10 to 12 oz. each. Set aside.
  • In a deep rectangular pan, pre-soak the gulaman bars in the 3 cups of water for 30 minutes till soft.
  • Over medium high heat, in a mid-sized stock pot, pour the water used in soaking. It should be 3 cups. Cover and bring to a boil. When water boils, add the gulaman in shredded pieces. Cook till the gulaman dissolves and liquid is smooth. This should take about 5 minutes. Transfer the gulaman liquid to a glass or metal bowl. Let this cool.
  • Separately, mix together the brown sugar, banana flavoring and 3 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring this to a boil. The liquid will become a thick, golden brown syrup. Set aside to cool.
  • When gulaman has cooled, cut this up into 1-inch cubes.
  • In tall, clear glasses put the gulaman. Add the sago balls. Distribute the amounts evenly among 2 to 4 glasses. Pour the cooled syrup over the sago and gulaman. Mix well. Serve with crushed ice on the top.
  • To cook regular uncooked sago: If you prefer to buy uncooked sago, soak 1 cup sago pearls in a bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain the water. In a medium-sized stockpot, combine the sago pearls with 8 cups of water and ½ cup sugar. Cover and boil for 35 minutes or until the pearls are tender and transparent; there should be no trace of white anywhere in the sago pearl. Keep checking the water level and maintain the same level covering the sago.To know if they are cooked, the sago pearls should be completely transparent-looking. When done, discard the water used for boiling. Refrigerate the cooked sago till ready to use. When chilled, the cooked sago may clump together. They can be separated by stirring with the syrup.
  • COOK'S COMMENTS: I purchase cooked bottled sago and the uncooked sago from Asian markets, Filipino groceries or online sources of Filipino or Asian ingredients.
  • Hello, Friends! All the images and content on this blog are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED and owned by my media company Besa-Quirino LLC. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to copy, scrape, lift, frame, plagiarize or use my photos and  recipe content I wrote, on your website, films or videos  without my permission. If you want to republish this recipe or content on another website, video or news article, please ASK my permission, re-write it in your own words and simply link back to this blog to give proper attribution. It’s the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 108g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 146mg | Sugar: 107g | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1mg