西米 (xīmǐ) · sago, sago pearls

Meanings

1 sago
2 sago pearls

About the ingredient

粮食 Grains and noodles

Small white starch pearls, made from sago palm or cassava, that turn translucent and soft when boiled. They go into sweet soups and coconut milk desserts.

Also called 西谷米

Used in 2 dishes

杨枝甘露 yángzhī gānlù

椰汁西米露 yēzhī xīmǐlù

Characters

西

xī

from 西谷 (xīgǔ), a sound loan for 'sago'

米

mǐ

grain-like pellet

Examples

HSK 6

西米煮熟以后会变成透明的。

Xīmǐ zhǔshú yǐhòu huì biànchéng tòumíng de.

Sago pearls turn transparent once they're cooked.

HSK 7-9

煮西米的时候要不停地搅拌，不然容易粘锅。

Zhǔ xīmǐ de shíhou yào bùtíng de jiǎobàn, bùrán róngyi zhān guō.

When boiling sago, keep stirring, or it will stick to the pot.

Tips

history

西米 is short for 西谷米, where 西谷 is a sound loan for 'sago', the starch of the sago palm. Most 西米 sold today is made from cassava starch instead. Cooked with coconut milk or juice, it becomes the dessert 西米露.