Drinks · Philippines

How Many Calories in Sago't Gulaman?

Also known as Sago at Gulaman, Samalamig, Palamig, Sago Gulaman Drink.

Brown sugar syrup (arnibal) flavoured with banana essence or pandan, poured over ice with tapioca pearls and cubes of gulaman jelly. The 15 to 25 peso drink from the samalamig cart on every corner.

200kcal / 1 large cup (about 400ml)
A large 400ml cup of sago't gulaman is about 200 calories. The arnibal syrup is about 150 of that, the sago pearls about 35 and the gulaman cubes about 10. The ice and water are free. Kawaling Pinoy's recipe card lands at 248 per serving with a heavier syrup pour.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 large cup (about 400ml) (400g)AmountPer 100g
Calories200 kcal50 kcal
Protein1 g0 g
Carbs49 g12 g
Fat0 g0 g

Where the calories come from

Arnibal (brown sugar syrup)40g
150 kcal
Sago pearls, cooked30g
35 kcal
Gulaman cubes40g
10 kcal
Ice and water290g
0 kcal

The real talk

Sago't gulaman is brown sugar water with chewy things in it, and the calories follow the sugar. A vendor ladles about 40g of arnibal (brown sugar boiled with water and a drop of banana extract) into a large cup, which is 150 calories. The sago pearls are cooked tapioca starch, about 30g at 35 calories. The gulaman is agar jelly set with a little sugar, about 40g at 10 calories. Then ice and water to the top. Kawaling Pinoy and Panlasang Pinoy both land around 250 per serving, with a cup of sugar for 6 servings.

The cart drinks are all the same sugar in different colours. Melon juice, buko pandan, black gulaman, the sago't gulaman with a squeeze of calamansi: 150 to 250 per large cup, and the difference is mostly how heavy the vendor's hand is. A large cup is about the same as a can of Coke (140) plus a bit, and people drink 2 in an afternoon because it is 20 pesos and it is hot.

The mall versions with cream or condensed milk are a step up. A large buko pandan with cream is about 280, and the 'special' sago't gulaman with extra sago and a milk float is around 300. Sago't gulaman is a fine drink to have instead of a soft drink, but it is not water with jelly in it. It is 49g of carbs, all of it sugar and starch.

How the portions compare

120 kcal
Small cup (250ml)
200 kcal
Large cup (400ml)
270 kcal
Large cup with extra sago and syrup

Sago't Gulaman variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Sago't gulaman, less syrup120 kcalKonting arnibal
Sago't gulaman, large200 kcalStreet cart standard
Home recipe serving (Kawaling Pinoy card)248 kcalHeavier syrup
Buko pandan drink with cream, large280 kcalMall stall
Special sago't gulaman with milk float300 kcalExtra sago, condensed milk

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

Is sago't gulaman healthy?
No, it is sugar water with tapioca and jelly. About 200 calories and 45g of sugar in a large cup. The gulaman itself is nearly free; the arnibal is the problem.
How many calories in the sago alone?
About 35 calories for the 30g of cooked pearls in a large cup. Sago is pure starch, about 120 calories per 100g cooked.
Is sago't gulaman lower in calories than Coke?
Not really. A large cup is about 200 calories versus 140 for a 330ml can of Coke. With less syrup it drops to 120, which is when it becomes the better choice.
How many calories in gulaman?
Almost none. Gulaman is agar, about 5 to 10 calories per 40g cube portion once the sugar in the jelly is counted. It is the syrup and sago around it that add up.

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Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical carinderia or restaurant serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

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