A watered-down romance with sago

That was one refreshing segment which Extra! Extra aired last week. And I’m talking about the show’s feature on this modified sago drink that has sprouted all over Metro Manila and even in some key cities in the provinces.

Actually, I was among the early patrons of this latest fad drink – the most popular of which carries the brand name Zagu.

If I’m not mistaken, the first stall of Zagu was set up in A. Mabini Street in Mandaluyong – near the house of Robert Arevalo and Barbara Perez. But the first branch I patronized was the one in Bo. Kapitolyo in Pasig. This was way back in June. And even then , people (mostly in cars) were already forming a beeline just to have a taste of this creamy and refreshing drink.

Zagu comes in different flavors. Most people, however, go for the buco-pandan – especially Bessie Badilla whose last visit to Manila became eventful for two reasons: her word war with Hilda Koronel and her discovery of the Zagu branch in Sucat, Parañaque where her parents reside.

But the problem with Zagu is that it advertises more than 20 different flavors on its sign board. In reality, however, only about 15 are available. For instance, I had to wait two months before I was able to taste the cherry flavor. And when it finally came, I was sorry I asked for it. It was so sour, it made my lips pucker. After that, I was back to ordering buco-pandan. Sometimes, I’d order two tall glasses – with extra pearls (which is how they call the chewy sago).

But there was one time when I decided to get three glasses – all to go. I don’t know how was I able to drive home with one hand guiding the steering wheel and the other balancing three large plastic cups of Zagu in a disposable bag. It was tough, but I was able to do it. I’m telling you, I was willing to do anything for Zagu.

Unfortunately, like most other businesses here in the Philippines, some Zagu branches decided to shortchange their clients. I began to notice that they were starting to add more and more crushed ice to every order and were sometimes even cutting the sago balls in half.

Even if I was crazy about this drink, I knew that my honeymoon with Zagu was soon going to be over. The last straw came one evening when I was placing my order in one Zagu stand. From behind the sliding glass window, I heard the girl behind the counter say to the owner" "Ma’am, nandito na naman si Butch Francisco. Gabi-gabi nandito ‘yan." Well, that wasn’t exactly true. I wasn’t there every night. It was more like every other night.

Though that remark was harmless, it served as a wake-up call for me. I was getting addicted to Zagu as if it had opium in it. (Hmmm ... has everyone bothered to check into this?) Although it was a harmless form of addiction, it was still an addiction nevertheless – and something had to be done about it. (Look, I went through my teen years without getting hooked on dope. Tapos, sa Zagu lang pala ako sasabit! Isn’t this so hopelessly baduy?)

It was also at that point when I realized that I was starting to put on weight – from having too much Zagu, no doubt. You see, Zagu uses powdered milk which has a lot of fat in it. (Maybe it’s about time Zagu and its main competitor, Orbitz, came out with a fat-free version.) So I said goodbye to Zagu and never looked back.

And then came all these internet horror stories about Zagu containing borax and other toxic additives – including food coloring banned in other countries. Suddenly, the once long lines leading to the Zagu stands got shorter and shorter.

But that feature on Extra! Extra! did Zagu, Orbitz and the other sago drinks a lot of good. By bringing in people from the Department of Health and the Bureau of Food and Drugs to testify on behalf of these sago drinks, the blackened image of Zagu, Orbitz and company was cleared – somehow.

I don’t know if people are heading back to the Zagu stands now. In my eyes, I’ve already lost my taste for it. No, it has nothing to do with those rumored toxic chemicals. I’m swearing off Zagu for the simple reason that I’m really just scared of getting fat.

I also honestly believe that the days of Orbitz, Zagu-shago, Let’s Go Sago, etc. are already numbered.

Soon, it’s going the way of those flash-in-the-pan fads like hot pandesal, litsong manok, shawarma and the shades of Randy Santiago.