Matthew Pozniak, age 13, of Montgomery, Ala., for his question:

WHERE IS SAGO EATEN?

Sago is a starchy food that is a bit like tapioca. It is found in the center of the branches and trunks of a number of kinds of palm trees. It is an important food item of the East Indies natives.

The sago palm grows to be about 30 feet tall and is foun principally in the East Indies. There's a white pith inside its thick barked trunk.

The tree, which flowers only once, is cut down before the blossoms form. If left alone, the starchy substance inside the trunk forms the blossom and seed, leaving the trunk empty.

The pith is taken out and pounded in large wooden mortar    into pulp. Sometimes as much as 700 pounds of sago is taken from    just one palm tree.     

Sago is nutritious and wholesome. The natives make it into cakes and soups. In parts of the United States and Europe it is used 'n thickening soups or in making puddings. The majority of sago used in the U.S. comes from Borneo.