Sago At Gulaman (A Date Syrup Version)

A little healthier remix of the traditional Sago At Gulaman.  This time made with chia seeds and date syrup jelly.  It's perfect with lots of ice to be had in the sun.

What is Sago At Gulaman:

Okay first let's talk about what is Sago At Gulaman.  Translation is Sago = Tapioca Pearls and Gulaman = Jelly.  Both really don't have any flavor at all, so a brown sugar syrup called arnibal is used as the main flavoring agent of the drink.  It's served over ice to act mainly as a refresher from the heat and humidity in the Philippines.  These refreshers are called palamig which means to cool down.

Before the tall towers of the malls entered the Philippines this was one of the ways to cool down without an A/C.  You can get it from a street vendor and it's served in a plastic bag with a straw or at a sit down restaurant.  Either way it provides the same thing.  A sweet and refreshing respite from the sun.

My Version

I have always wanted to do a version with date syrup since my Taho at Sago recipe.  If you have a look over the ingredients are quite similar.  Both chia seeds and date syrup are used to replace the sago pearls and brown sugar syrup.

Adding some flavor to the jelly component of the drink is what I really wanted to do.  Instead of leaving it flavorless, adding some date syrup to the jelly upped the taste ante.

Another thing I wanted to do was to add more nutritional value to the drink.  I did that by replacing the water with coconut water for added electrolytes and chia seeds for some protein and fiber.  The date syrup gives you magnesium and potassium.

Chia Seed in Coconut Water

To make this remixed drink I recommend blooming the 2 tablespoons of chia seeds in 1 liter of coconut water overnight.  This gets the chia seeds nice and plump so you get that nice slippery bite to mimic the sago balls in the original Sago at Gulaman.

Date Syrup Gulaman

At the same time you can make the date syrup gulaman (jelly) by boiling 1 cup water and ½ cup of date syrup in a small sauce pan.  Add in 2 tablespoons of agar agar.  To activate the jelling capabilities of agar agar you must bring it to a rapid boil for at least 5 minutes.

Once boiled transfer to a small shallow pan to cool to room temperature before cooling it down overnight in the refrigerator.

How To Serve Sago at Gulaman

To serve fill a glass with crushed ice and top with the date syrup gulaman and then pour over the chia seed coconut water.  If you want you can add more date syrup.

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