The inflorescence, 3–7.5 m (10–24+1⁄2 ft) tall and wide, consists of the continuation of the stem and 15–30 upwardly-curving (first-order) branches spirally arranged on it.

In the Sepik River region of New Guinea, pancakes made from sago are a staple food, often served with fresh fish.

[3] The upper portion of the trunk's core can be roasted for food; the young nuts, fresh shoots and palm cabbage are also edible.

[4] Research published in 2013 indicates that the sago palm was an important food source for the ancient people of coastal China, in the period prior to the cultivation of rice.

In his Zhu Fan Zhi (1225), a collection of descriptions of foreign countries, he writes that the "kingdom of Boni (i.e. Brunei) ... produces no wheat, but hemp and rice, and they use sha-hu (sago) for grain".