I COULD BET YOU that there is no one in Barbados who loves sago more than Annette Maynard-Watson. Equally, I could bet that no one has drunk more sago porridge than me.
When I was a little girl, my mother and grandparents gave me “nuff” sago, barley, linseed and oats. They often mixed them with cow’s milk. I especially liked when I stayed by my grandparents in St Joseph because my grandfather owned cows and the sago was often mixed with milk. My mother also added bay leaf and ground nutmeg to the liquid.
Boy! That sago used to “pull loud”, as the young people would say. The nutmeg acted as a liver and kidney detox agent and assisted with good sleep. As we celebrate 49 years of Independence, I will take you on a journey this month which will reflect on some of our old-time herbal porridges.
Sago is a household name in the Caribbean. It is also known as tapioca pearl and is extracted from the centre of the sago palm stem. However, commercially sago is sold as globules or in powdered form.
In the Caribbean it is often served as porridge and is used in shakes, cakes, bread and in soups. The Japananese have a tea made from sago called bubble tea. In Barbados a bag of sago is sold in nearly all village shops, herbal shops and supermarkets for less than $6.
Master herbalist Paul Haider posits that sago “has a low glycemic index, making it good for diabetics”.
The website vegrecipes4u.com revealed the following about sago: “It’s a good alternative to carbonated drinks as it gives energy without the added chemicals and artificial sweeteners.”
It also said that “sabudana (sago) is full of starch or carbohydrates and is great for a quick boost of energy. Sago gruel is also great when you’re sick because it gives you quick energy and is easy to digest. According to Indian medicine, sago and rice have a cooling effect on the system, hence sago gruel is given if you have excess bile (caused by excess body heat)”.
Finally, all children should be educated about sago and given demonstrations on how to prepare a cup of it.
My mother normally soaks her globules in warm water for ten minutes before boiling her sago porridge. Moreover, sago is associated with our culture and is seen as a survival food. It is therefore imperative that we show some respect to sago as an ancient Barbadian herbal hero.
• Annette Maynard-Watson, a teacher and herbal educator, may be contacted via [email protected] or by telephone 250-6450.
DISCLAIMER: It is not our intention to prescribe or make specific claims for any products. Any attempts to diagnose or treat real illness should come under the direction of your health care provider.
