Bird’s Nest Soup

by | Jan 7, 2010 | Confinement Foods, Dessert Soups | 6 comments

Soup Name:

Bird’s Nest Sweet Soup

 

Traditional Chinese Name:

燕窝 (yàn wō)

This soup is neutral in nature and sweet to taste.

Visit us on YouTube for more tea and soup videos.

A traditional sweet soup that is made from dried bird’s nest – mainly those nests collected from the species of swifts. It is a known delicacy in Chinese cuisine and can be used in various sweet desserts, drinks, and health supplements. There are variations of this soup where you can add American ginseng or wolfberries.

So let me explain what exactly “bird’s nest” is.  I had to do some research and then ask around the vendors and wet marts and my own herbalist and it’s actually the saliva of the bird when they create their nest.  So we aren’t eating the actual nest itself (which would likely be made from twigs and branches and leaves), but when they construct the nest, it’s their saliva that they use to hold the raw materials in place so it forms and hardens into a nest so it doesn’t fall apart when they lay their eggs.  There is usually one type of bird, the swiftlet, that the nests are harvested from.  And I strongly advise to buy dried bird’s nest from reputable and friendly sources, which usually means after the mating and birthing seasons when the chicklets are grown and the family has vacated the best, or farmed.

The reason why the Chinese love bird’s nest (I call it bird saliva) is because of its delicate, high protein, and collagen properties.  Said prized ingredients can help tighten, lift, and brighten your skin and skin tone.  These products actually come in a variety of colours from white to yellow and there exists the rarer red version (which is actually bloodied saliva, but highly prized and priced more more significant than their plain counterparts).

 

I don’t often make this dessert soup, but have tried it a few times just to experience the “making of”.  It’s not difficult and falls into a category similar to dried snow fungus or black fungus in that you have to pre-soak to allow it to soften and don’t forget to wash and remove any features and impurities! 

 

What’s involved?

Prep time: 3 hours (pre soak bird’s nest)

Cook time: 2 hours

Total time: 5 hours (including soak)

Serves: 2 bowls

Ingredients

  • 1 piece of bird’s nest
  • 1 piece of medium-sized rock sugar (customized to your taste)
  • 1 handful of wolfberries (optional)
  • 3 cups of water

Cooking Instructions

  1. Wash and clean the dried bird’s nest (remove as much feather, debris as you can first)
  2. Soak in cold water for at least 3 hours (or until relatively soft)
  3. Once it’s soft, use your hands to run through it, ensuring that it can come apart and clean it again under running water.  You’ll sometimes find feathers, rocks, twigs, and bits and bobs of stuff that wasn’t removed during the cleansing process!
  4. In a double-boiler, put in water and bird’s nest and rock sugar
  5. Boil water (at simmering) for 2 hours
  6. Serve & enjoy!

EXPLORE MORE

Healing Chinese Herbal Soup

Soup Name: Healing Chinese Herbal Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 北芪黨參消腫養陰湯 (běi qí dǎngshēn xiāo zhǒng yǎng yīn tāng) For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.This soup is perfect for anyone who wants to replenish and strengthen blood and qi, has poor...

Simple Roasted Chicken Congee

Soup Name: Roasted (leftover) Chicken Congee Traditional Chinese Name: 烤雞粥 (kǎo jī zhōu) What’s the Best Chinese Comfort Food? Hot Homemade Congee!When it comes to leftovers, congee with meats is the ultimate!  The best are with left over roasted chicken (even Costco...

Pu’er Chinese Tea: A Traditional Chinese Medicinal Perspective

A PU'ER Chinese (TEA) LOVE STORYChinese pu'er tea:  Why I love it! As part of my overall health regime.One guiding principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the yin yang theory.  In the natural world, there exists a balance between 2 opposing and co-existing forces...

A Quick Dinner Macaroni in Vegetable Soup

Soup Name: Macaroni in a quick boil vegetable soup (a quickie dinner) Traditional Chinese Name: 雜菜湯 (zá cài tāng) This soup is warming in nature and sweet to taste. For more videos on soups and teas, you can follow us on YouTube.   This is one of our families'...

ABC Chinese Soup (with a Fancy Lobster Soup Base)

Soup Name: ABC Chinese Soup (using a Lobster Base Soup) Traditional Chinese Name: ABC湯 (ABC tāng).  The easiest name in the Cantonese repertoire for ABC vegetable soup is 雜菜湯 (zá cài tāng), which literally translates to mixed vegetable soup. This soup is warming in...

Healing Chinese Herbal Soup

Soup Name: Healing Chinese Herbal Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 北芪黨參消腫養陰湯 (běi qí dǎngshēn xiāo zhǒng yǎng yīn tāng) For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.This soup is perfect for anyone who wants to replenish and strengthen blood and qi, has poor...

Simple Roasted Chicken Congee

Soup Name: Roasted (leftover) Chicken Congee Traditional Chinese Name: 烤雞粥 (kǎo jī zhōu) What’s the Best Chinese Comfort Food? Hot Homemade Congee!When it comes to leftovers, congee with meats is the ultimate!  The best are with left over roasted chicken (even Costco...

Chinese Herbal Soup with Abalone

Soup Name: Chicken Herbal Soup with Abalone  Traditional Chinese Name: 鮑魚清雞湯 (bào yú qīng jī tāng) This soup is warming in nature and sweet to taste. Visit us on YouTube for more tea and soup videos.One of my favourite basic chicken Chinese soups - ever!  And it's...

Sweet Rice Cakes for Chinese New Year’s!

Happy Chinese New Year's!! Wishing you and your family a very happy, healthy, and beautiful year of the rabbit!! As a tradition, the Chinese will eat what's called "New Year's Cake".  It's basically sweetened rice and glutinous rice flour pan fried until soft and...

Cooling and Calming Chrysanthemum and Roselle (Hibiscus) Honey Tea

Tea Name: Chrysanthemum and Roselle (Hibiscus) Honey Tea Traditional Chinese Name: 菊花茶 (jú huā chá) This tea is sweet and sour to taste and cooling in nature.Visit us on YouTube for more tea and soup videos.Taking a moment?  Want something calming and soothing?  Try...