Birds Spit Soup processing

Edible Birds Spit Soup is the saliva of golden swiftlet that is spit on cliff, wooden planks or wall of bird houses. After harvesting and processing, it is consumed after feather removal.

Prior to consumption, it is soaked in water for about 40 minutes to 1 hour (cave nest needs more soaking time) then slow-cooked. House nest only requires 40 minutes to an hour of cooking time while cave nest requires at least 5 hours.
Nest processing is a dull and time-consuming task; therefore workers need to have adequate patience.

Processing requires 4 steps:

1. Raw nest is soaked in water until it is completely enlarged. Picture shown a nest that is soaked for 2 hours.
2. Use a tweezer to remove the feathers and impurities. This step needs repetition until all the feathers and impurities are removed.
3. Place the cleaned nest onto a mold
4. Drying the nest with oven and fan

Birds Spit Soup processing

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Cave nest: is built in the natural cave and coastal cliff. As swiftlet’s built their nest in the mountain cave, minerals from mountain wall will infiltrate into the nest through rain dipping and high humidity in the cave cause the nest change to golden yellow colour. Due to high demand and uncontrolled nest harvesting, swiftlet’s habitat is damaged and become lesser in the natural mountain. Nowadays government are promoting eco green habitat of swiftlet’s farming, House Nest was slowly replacing Cave Nest. Suitable Group of Consumer: Youngster/ middle age group, pregnant woman.
P/S: The main difference between Cave Nest with other brand is that Cave Nest had to soak in the water for at least 6-8 hours followed by stowed for another 5-6 hours then only can be consumed. As Cave Nest contains very high mineral, it needs longer time to prepare.
Blood Nest: is categorized under cave nest as well. Scientist had prove that blood nest does not formed by Swiftlet’s blood saliva and the reason that change the nest into red colour is the high magnesium minerals contain on the mountain wall that infiltrate into the nest. Lots of retailers telling consumer that Blood Nest was foamed by Swiftlet’s blood saliva or the food’s consumed by Swiftlet’s that change their nest into red colour. This is totally cheating and misleading consumer with wrong info.
P/S:  Blood Nest had to soak in the water for at least 12-24 hours , stowed for another 8-10 hours then only can be consumed. It’s totally different with what others selling in the market preparation time is extremely short, cause of transforming House Nest into Blood Nest.
House Nest: market name it as “Emperor Nest”. From cave nest to house nest, golden swiftlet builds nest in different environment but it’s lifestyle remains the same. These swiftlets still live in natural habitat, they fly out early in the morning to find food and return in evening. House nest is protected, so the swiftlet population has been increasing. It is more superior than cave nest due to the fact that nutrient contents are retained when it is harvested periodically. House nest has less minerals if compared with cave nest. Thus, it is suitable to community of all ages.
P/S: House Nest mineral contains is much lower compare to Cave Nest, so House Nest can only soak in the water for 1-2 hours, then stowed for another 45 minutes and ready to consume.

How to Cook Chinese Birds Spit Soup (燕窝)

A step-by-step guide to cooking the Chinese delicacy, edible Birds Spit Soup, to maximize nutrition and achieve great taste.

When you open the menu of a big restaurant in China, chances are you’ll come across a small section listing extremely expensive dishes with exquisite names. For example, Birds Spit Soup, shark fin stew, and braised sea cucumber. These dishes can cost hundreds of dollars for a small bowl, and they may look very plain, like a regular bowl of chicken soup.
Today I want to take you on a tour to a lesser-known part of Chinese cuisine by introducing one of the most popular food items for female beauty – Chinese Birds Spit Soup.

What is Chinese Birds Spit Soup

Chinese Birds Spit Soup, or yàn wō (燕窝), is is one of the most expensive foods in the world, with a price of up to $2000 per kilogram (according to Wikipedia). The nests are made of the hardened saliva of the male swiftlet, a type of swallow found in many coastal caves of Southeast Asia.

Sounds super weird right?

Well, the cooked nest is almost tasteless and has the texture of jelly. It is often served sweetened and has quite a refreshing taste. When I cooked the nest for the first time in my US home, my husband thought it was super weird. But once he tasted the sweet soup, he actually enjoyed it and drank it all.
The culinary and traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) use of edible swallow nest dates hundreds of years back, as a highly nutritious therapeutic supplement and a delicacy in Chinese cuisine.
Due to the extremely high protein content (about 70%), namely collagen, Birds Spit Soup is prized by females for its ability to improve skin condition and release stress. So they will keep the last of their youth, as well as have a long and healthy life and a strong body. It has neutral energetic properties in TCM (not too cold or too warm), so it benefits people of all ages and is especially good for the lungs, kidneys, and stomach.
Moreover, eating swallow nest is regarded as a privilege in China. It’s a luxury like shark fin. In ancient times, only the emperor and nobles had access to it. So it’s a symbol of social status and wealth.
Lastly, the value of Birds Spit Soup is high due to its rarity. When people are in a business meeting in a restaurant (as is Chinese tradition), they order precious items such as Birds Spit Soup in order to display their sincerity. It is just like ordering an expensive bottle of wine in the Western world.

How to prepare and cook with edible Birds Spit Soup

Edible Birds Spit Soups come in different colors, ranging from white to dark brown, depending on the grading and the type of bird. When you purchase Birds Spit Soup, always try to buy from reputable brands to make sure you’re getting a quality product.
Preparing Birds Spit Soup might look intimidating if you’ve never cooked with it before, since most products don’t usually come with instructions on the package. In reality it is extremely easy and requires just a few simple steps:
(1) Decide how much to serve.
Birds Spit Soup is preserved dry and it stays good for a month in the fridge once you open the package. It is important to decide how much you’re going to serve before preparing the nest, to ensure maximum freshness.
When you purchase Birds Spit Soup, the nest usually comes in pieces and the package tells you how many servings it contains. For example, the Birds Spit Soup I used said 1 ounce (28 grams) serves 4 people. It is a good serving size if you’re serving the nest restaurant style. If you’re using it for nutritional purposes and will consume it frequently (once or twice a week), you can serve smaller portions, about 1 ounce (28 grams) for 8 servings.
(2) Soak the edible Birds Spit Soup with cold water, for at least 6 hours or overnight.
This step is very important. Do NOT use warm or hot water to soak the nest because it might destroy the delicate texture. Once the nest is fully hydrated, it expands a few times larger and has a slightly tough gelatinous texture. Use your hands to tear it into smaller pieces along the threads. Try to do it without breaking the threads so the finished nest will have a better texture.
When you’re soaking the nest you might notice a fishy smell. Don’t worry about it. The fishiness will disappear once the nest is cooked.
(3) Cook the nest using a double boiler.
Although Birds Spit Soup can be served either sweet or savory, most people prefer to serve it sweet, as a dessert. To enjoy the Birds Spit Soup, you should use minimal seasoning, just enough to eliminate the fishiness from the nest without masking its flavor.
Using a double boiler will preserve the most nutrition and ensure the nest is fully cooked and tender, without turning it into mush and melting it into the soup.
My favorite method is to cook the nest with Asian pear. The pear will magically eliminate all the fishiness from the nest and impart a refreshing sweet aroma. To make the appearance fancier, I carved the pears into small bowls and cooked the nest with a bit of water and goji berries. If you want an easier version, simply chop the pears into small pieces and add them into a bowl with the nest.
There are many ways to cook the nest, such as with different types of fruits and Chinese red dates. Once cooked, the nest has a light gelatinous texture that is tender and transparent. Serve the nest cold with syrup and milk, with more fruits if desired.
In the recipe below I teach you two of my favorite ways of cooking Birds Spit Soup – Asian pear with rock sugar, and coconut milk with papaya.