Sago't Gulaman

sago't gulaman, philippine local refreshment

Picture taken from sapot-litrato.philsites.net

Sago't Gulaman is a popular local refreshment that is made simply out of caramelized sugar. One one sunday afternoon when everybody was all laid back and nothing to do, I decided to prepare it for the entire family for us to have something to drink for our merienda. I followed the instuctions but apparently, I didn't do it right. The gulaman was so soft that it disintegrates by itself in the caramelized water! huhuhu! Despite following the instructions, I still didn't do it right. =(

I talked to one of my friends and she gave me some tips for a mouth-watering and delectable sago't gulaman. Below are her instuctions along with other ingredients.

Ingredients:

Sugar. 1cup
Water. 2 cups
Sago. Boiled
Gulaman. Cooked; cubed
Ice. Cubed or Crushed.

Heat sugar in a pan. Stir until all sugar crystals dissolved completely. Allow to cool.
Put in cooked sago and gulaman. Most people prefer it to add vanilla flavoring to enhance taste. Others use banana extract. I would recommend McCormick brand (I hope I spelled it, right).

To prepare sago (tapioca pearls):

With sago on a pan, put in enough water. Allow to boil until almost small amount of milky spot in the middle is left. Add a small amount of sugar to taste. Drain and allow to cool by adding ice. If you're not in a hurry, you may refrigerate it to be used the other day.

To prepare gulaman:

A traditional Gulaman bar is available in the market although a similar agar in powder form can also be used. If the former is used, flake it and add it in a slightly boiling water. Add sugar or syrup to taste. Stir until finally dissolved. 2 cups of water will do. Good for 1 serving.

Transfer it to a pan. Let it cool for a while or add some ice for faster cooling. Cut into cubes.

To prepare the refreshment itself. Add in crushed (preferred) or cubed ice into a glass. Add enough water, arnibal (caramelized sugar), along with tapioca and gulaman. Add more sugar if desired.

Seems easy to prepare but only some does it really better. Perhaps, a little bit of experience or expertise is needed to come up with the best sago't gulaman refreshment.