Sago

[curryfan]

I want to make the Malaysian dessert Gula Malacca but only have a packet of tapioca to hand. Can I use this instead of sago? Is it the same thing anyway?

[Ethel]

Sago

A powdery starch obtained from the trunks of certain sago palms and used in Asia as a food thickener and textile stiffener.


Tapioca

A beady starch obtained from the root of the cassava, used for puddings and as a thickening agent in cooking.

It's not the same thing at all, so I wouldn't use it. Sato cooks into a smooth 'paste' whereas tapioca cooks into lumps, like frog spawn.

:)

[curryfan]

Thanks for your comments - it's the frog spawn effect I'm after so I think I will experiment!!