Hong Kong mango sago - Emointhekitchen

emointhekitchen

Mango sago, a refreshing dessert, originates in Cantonese restaurants in Hong Kong during the 1980s. The story goes one day a story describing how the Guanyin Bodhisattva once collected the sweet dew (甘露) from a willow branch in her magic Vase of Mutton-Fat Jade (羊脂玉净瓶) to save people suffering because of a drought. “Sweet dew” worked perfectly as a poetic description of the dessert’s miraculous ability to quench people’s thirst and help them feel refreshed on a hot day.

The dessert has the same name as the Guanyin Bodhisattva’s magical liquid: “Sweet Dew of the Willow Branch (杨枝甘露).” A tale from the classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West inspires the dessert’s name. In this tale, Guanyin uses manna to revive a terrified ginseng fruit tree, destroyed by the mischievous Monkey King (Sun Wukong) during his antics in heaven.

With its rich cultural history and delicious flavours, mango sago has become a beloved treat enjoyed by many in Hong Kong and beyond. My favourite summer dessert is soft in the mouth, and iced coconut milk’s aroma is full of summer flavour.

We need:

2 Mango
100g Sago
100g oat milk
200g Coconut milk
30g cane sugar
400g water

Procedure:

When cooking sago, it is crucial to get the amount of water right to ensure that the sago cooks properly and doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. The recommended ratio of sago to water is 1:10.

After boiling water, add sago. Cook the sago over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. The sago will gradually become translucent with white spots in the middle. Shut off the heat and cover it for a duration of 15 minutes. This step is very important as it ensures that the sago is fully cooked and the white spots in the centre disappear.

Cut the mango into cubes and mix part of the mango with oat milk to make a porridge. Heat the water and cane sugar, dissolve and stir in the oat milk, coconut milk, mango puree and sago. After you combine everything, you can chill the dish into the refrigerator before enjoying a refreshing and delicious mango sago dessert.