The most famous use of edible birds nest is bird’s nest soup, a delicacy in Chinese cuisine.

When dissolved in water, the birds’ nests have a gelatinous texture which is added to a sweet soup [tòhng seui]. It is mostly referred to as 燕窝 [yin wò] unless references are made to the savoury or sweet soup in Chinese cuisine.

According to the Qing Dynasty manual of gastronomy, the Suiyuan shidan, bird nest was a delicate ingredient that must not be flavoured or cooked with anything strong tasting or oily.  It should be served in a sufficient amount for its texture to be fully experienced and enjoyed.

烹調指示

1. 首先，把10克的燕窩加入大量的水覆盖浸泡至鬆軟。至少2个小时以上。
2. 加入800-1000毫升的水进陶瓷炖锅并煮开。将浸泡好的燕窩濾乾，倒入煮開的800-1000毫升的水。
3. 盖上锅盖，以中小火燉煮大約60-80分鐘。可加藥材如泡參、枸杞子與紅棗入锅内继续燉煮至少40分钟以上直到燕窝软化入味。然後依個人喜好加入冰糖，待冰糖溶解后大約五分鐘後，關火即可享用。

Cooking Instructions

1. Immerse 10g of bird’s nest in plenty of water & ensure it is covered by water for a minimum 2 hours until soft & fully expanded.
2. Boil 800 -1000ml of water in a separate pot. Drain the soaked bird’s nest & add to the boiling pot.
3. Reduce to low-medium heat & cover with a lid to continue stewing. After 60 – 80mins add in Chinese herbs such as American ginseng, goji & red dates & stew for at least 40 mins until the bird’s nest is a transparent & soft jelly. Then add rock sugar according to your taste & turn off the heat once the rock sugar is completely dissolved.
4. Serve within 4 hours or refrigerate the bird’s nest soup for later consumption.