You may know that sago boba is popular, sometimes substituting for boba pearls. In some cases, it is named as sago boba. Let’s learn the basics of sago boba, and we will also introduce many delicious and lovely ways of using cooked sago pearls.
Understanding Sago
You may have encountered much discussion about true sago and fake sago. I understand that true sago is much firmer and made from palm starch. The fake sago is made from tapioca starch and has the same ingredients as typical tapioca pearls.
However, a funny fact is that the sago boba or sago pearls we get from the market or Amazon are made from tapioca starch. The sago pearls popular now are relatively small in size, usually white. But you can get pink or green sago pearls from Thailand.
However, if you want some colored sago pearls, I will recommend using the white sago pearls and cook them with coloring agents. For example, use dragon fruit juice to cook pink sago pearls, butterfly pea flower for blue ones and
How to Cook Sago
It is super easy to cook sago pearls but there are details need attention. The most important tip is to cook sago about 10 times water in volume. They will expand greatly and absorb the water after cooked.
Step by steps
- Boil the water: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Use about 10 cups of water for every cup of sago pearls to ensure they have enough space to cook evenly. Those pearls will absorb the water and expand greatly.
- Cook the Sago Pearls: Add the sago pearls in and stir to prevent sticking. Keep the water to boiling so the pearls will not stick together in the cooking process.
- Cover and let it set. After 15 minutes, the sago pearls will become translucent with a small white dot in the center, indicating they are almost done. Now cover the lid and set aside for around 15 minutes until they are thoroughly cooked.
- Rinse and add flavor: Since the water for boiling the sago pearls will become sticky due to the starch, rinse under running water to remove the stickiness on the surface and then add some white sugar or syrup to coat them.
I use sugar to sweeten the sago pearls to keep the transparent looking. However, if you plan to make a mixed sago desserts with coconut, simply mix them with coconut milk base to avoid sticking together.
Sago Pearls Vs Boba Pearls
You may wonder the difference between sago pearls and boba pearls. True sago pearls are made from palm while boba pearls are made from tapioca starch. But they share the same ingredients when the sago pearl is made with tapioca starch.
From the appearance, sago pearls are quite small, white and transparent in color. Generally sago pearls are neutral in flavor because no sugar or other fruit ingredient are added in the dough. Boba pearls have natural flavors depending on the sugar added for example brown sugar boba pearls has a sweet yet caramel taste. While some fruit boba pearls for example strawberry boba pearls may get the fruity flavor from the fruit puree.
How to Use Sago Pearls
There are lots of funny and creative way of using Sago pearls. And the most popular group is to mix with coconut and different kinds of fruits.
Another popular choice is to use in bubble tea as a replacement of larger boba pearls. I love to use sago in this way because I don’t need to shallow the pearls.
Strawberry sago
Strawberry sago is made with fresh strawberries with a small amount of dragon fruit juice to darken the color. It has a lovely deep pink color.
Watermelon Sago
Watermelon sago is a delight in summer if you love to eat watermelon. It has a lovely pinkish-red color with the natural sweetness of watermelon.
Mango Sago
Mango sago is the most popular type in Asian countries. Sometimes pomelo is added to form a balance of the overwhelming sweetness.
Mango Avocado Sago
If you love avocado, try this mango avocado sago. It is not only pretty but has a uniform and strong taste.
Taro Sago
If you want some dreaming color and earthy taste, try this taro sago. For this version, I use taro paste with a lovely earthy taste instead of taro powder.
Grape Sago
Want some more light and refreshing taste in summer, try our grape sago. It has a light green color.
Now, let’s make a lovely sago boba tea.
Sago Boba- Sago Milk Tea
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. cooked sago pearls
- 1 cup milk of choice
- ice cubes as desired
- 1/2 cup hot boiling water + 1 tea bag you can either choose black tea or jasmine green tea
- 1 tbsp. syrup of choice
Instructions
Cook the sago pearls
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Use about 10 cups of water for every cup of sago pearls to ensure they have enough space to cook evenly. Add the sago pearls in and stir to prevent sticking. Keep the water to boiling so the pearls will not stick together in the cooking process.
- After 15 minutes, the sago pearls will become translucent with a small white dot in the center, indicating they are almost done. Now cover the lid and set aside for around 15 minutes until they are thoroughly cooked.
- Rinse under running water to remove the stickiness on the surface and then add some white sugar or syrup to coat them.
Assemble sago boba
- Add sago boba, ice cubes if using and then syrup.
- Pour in tea base (either black tea, oolong tea or jasmine green tea) and milk of choice. Stir well before enjoying.