SAGO HISTORY

The Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) has been known in trade in South East Asia for at least 700 years. According to Berkill (1966), sago was mentioned by Chinese writers in the 12th Century. It is a hapaxanthic (once flowering) and soboliferous (suckering) feather-leaf palm which accumulates starch in its trunk during its vegetative phase of growth. Of the several species of starch producing palm, Metroxylon sagu is by far the most important palm exploited commercially for starch production.