In Brazil, tapioca pearls are still known as sagu, despite being made from the native South American cassava, and not sago palms.

[7][8][9][10] The making of tapioca balls was introduced to Brazil after the arrival of European immigrants, which became known as sagu, despite being made from native cassava starch.

[11] With the transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil, in the beginning of the 19th century, the cassava flour started being prepared with Port wine, resulting in a kind of sweet porridge, such as a "parent" of sagu de vinho.

In the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, corporations of the state of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul became producers of tapioca pearls (made of cassava), used in this dessert.

[13] The Serra Gaúcha region was colonized by northern Italian (mainly from Veneto) and German peoples, among other European immigrants (like Poles).

The rest of the state was colonized mainly by the Azorean Portuguese, Arabs (mainly from Lebanon, Syria and Palestinian territories) and Africans (mainly from Angola).

This dish is popular in Rio Grande do Sul, but it is also a common dessert served in restaurants in the states of Santa Catarina and Paraná).

When boiling the mixture again, the sago pearls are added, being stirred constantly to avoid it from sticking on the bottom of the pan.