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sago't gulaman in clear glasses
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4.20 from 10 votes

Sago at Gulaman

Black Gulaman Drink made with grass jelly, chewy pearls, and brown sugar syrup. It's refreshing, tasty, and a fun cooler you'll love year-round.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Soak and Chill1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: Filipino
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 248kcal

Ingredients

  • cooked sago
  • gulaman, cut into cubes
  • arnibal syrup
  • 4 cups cold water
  • 1 teaspoon banana essence or vanilla extract
  • crushed ice

For the Sago

  • 4 ounces sago
  • water

For the Gulaman

  • 1 bar (.35 ounce) gulaman
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ½ cup sugar

For the Syrup using Panutsa

  • 8 ounces panutsa
  • 1 cup water

For the Syrup using Brown Sugar

  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

To Make the Sago

  • In a pot over medium heat, bring enough water to cover sago pearls to a boil. Add sago pearls, stir gently and cook for about 10 minutes or until translucent. Remove from heat, rinse well and drain.
  • In the pot, add boiled sago and enough cold water to cover. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and bring to a gentle boil. When water has boiled for about 5 minutes, remove from heat, rinse well and drain. 
  • In the pot, add enough cold water to cover sago and again, bring to a gentle boil for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, rinse well and drain. Repeat the process until sago pearls are tender but chewy and translucent with no white in the center. Rinse well and allow to cool. 

To Make the Gulaman

  • In a pot, shred agar agar and soak in 1 ½ cups water for about 30 to 40 minutes.
  • Over medium heat, bring to a boil and cook, stirring regularly, until agar melts.
  • Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Continue to cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until agar agar is completely melted.
  • Remove from heat. Pour into a flat dish and allow to cool until agar agar is set and hardened. Cut into ½-inch cubes.

To Make Arnibal Syrup with Panutsa

  • In a saucepan, combine the panutsa and water and cook, stirring occasionally, until completely dissolved.
  • In a fine mesh sieve, strain syrup to rid of any impurities and return back in the saucepan. Continue to cook until slightly thickened.  
  • Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

To Make Arnibal Syrup with Brown Sugar

  • In a saucepan, combine water and sugar. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and liquid is clear and no longer cloudy.
  • Remove from heat until completely cooled.

To Make Sago Gulaman Drink

  • In a large pitcher, combine 4 cups of cold water and the arnibal syrup.  Add banana essence or vanilla extract to taste. Stir well.
  • In large glasses, add ice, cooked sago, and cubed gulaman. Add brown sugar liquid

Notes

The tip my aunt taught me, aside from adding banana essence to the brown sugar syrup, is to use grass jelly! This black gulaman is available at most Asian supermarkets and is inexpensive at about $3 for a large 19-ounce can. Not only does it have the perfect jiggly consistency, but it also matches the amber color of the drink well.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 67mg | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 0.6mg