Sugar-to-fruit ratio with seasonal adjustment - mango season (Apr-Aug) needs less added sugar than off-season.
Enter servings, mango season, mango variety, and sweetness target. The card shows mango, pomelo, sago, coconut milk, and sugar amounts.
Mango pomelo sago changes with season. Recipes written in summer assume super-sweet mangoes; the same recipe in January produces a sour dessert. Western cooks often overshoot sugar to compensate, masking the fruit.
Anyone making the dessert outside Asia. Home cooks in winter wondering why it tastes sharp. Restaurants needing consistent dessert flavor year-round.
The base ratio is 150 g mango, 30 g pomelo, 25 g sago per serving. Sugar floats around this based on fruit quality. Start at 50% of the suggested sugar and taste before adding more. The seasonal adjustment compensates for natural fruit acidity - off-season mango needs more sugar to taste balanced.
Sago substitutes (tapioca pearls) work but cook differently. Smaller pearls need 5 min less. Pomelo in season is October-January; off-season pomelo is dry and pithy.
Sago not turning transparent? Boiled too short. 8 min minimum, then 5 min rest covered.
Why sour? Mango not ripe. Should yield slightly to thumb pressure.
Can I freeze? Sago freezes badly. Make fresh.