Regina and I were invited by Royal Bird’s Nest to learn more about this intriguing Chinese delicacy made from the saliva of swiftlets. Living in Asia, a lot of my peers take Bird’s Nest 燕窝 (yan wo) regularly and many of them swear by their miraculous effects. From bestowing beautiful skin to enhancing your immune system, thousands have claimed to have benefitted from Bird’s Nest.
When my grandfather was in his 80s, he was extremely frail and could hardly eat much. My grandmother put him on a daily dosage of Bird’s Nest to give him all the antioxidants and amino acids needed to strengthen him. In the last 2 years of his life (when he was 87 to 88 years old), he refused all forms of food. I would say that his main source of proteins came mainly from consuming Bird’s Nest daily.
These days most of the people that consume Bird’s Nest take it in the pre-packaged bottled form which is not as nutritious as boiling your very own Bird’s Nest soup. If you believe in the benefits of Bird’s Nest and do intend to take it regularly, you will find this article extremely useful as I share with you some tips and secrets about Bird’s Nest.
TIP 1
Don’t bother to take Bird’s Nest to improve your complexion unless you intend to take it regularly.
Personally, I take Bird’s Nest from time to time as I love the taste (with rock sugar) and look upon it as a delicate dessert. However, according to the baby face owner of Royal Bird’s Nest, effects of beautiful skin only starts showing results after at least 3 months of weekly Bird’s Nest intake. I have no scientific backup on this one but many of my expectant mothers friends take Bird’s Nest regularly so both mum and their babies will enjoy radiant unmarred skin. In addition, they told me that women consuming pure Bird’s Nest post birth will recover far quicker compared with women who do not. This fast recovery is attributed to the Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), which is active in the nutrients of the Bird’s Nest.
TIP 2
More expensive Bird’s Nest does not mean better Bird’s Nest.
Bird’s Nest is a delicacy which price is driven up by its association with it being a status symbol. In the Bird’s Nest industry, some unscrupulous business owners makes use of this to drive prices of certain types of Bird’s Nest up even though it is not necessarily better.
TIP 3
Red or Blood Bird’s Nest is a SCAM!
Although Blood Bird’s Nest 血燕窝 is highly prized (so much so that many underhanded sellers go as far as to dye it red) and fetches a higher price, Blood Bird’s Nest is actually made when the accumulation of the swallow’s faeces in caves causes the Bird’s Nest to change in colour. As a marketing ploy, Bird’s Nest dealers perpetuated the concept that the red tinge was due to the swallows creating their nests with blood so people would believe it was rare and more precious and thus be willing to pay more for Blood Bird’s Nest. What a smart marketing move! To make things worse, swallow breeders deliberately do not clear the swallow droppings to discolour the Bird’s Nest.
TIP4
Do not choose the whitest Bird’s Nest.
The real Bird’s Nest is not pure white. It’s a slight ivory colour. Extremely white nests are results of bleaching which is a dirty trick non-reputable Bird’s Nest Sellers use so that the excess feathers and dirt turns to white and they would not have to spend that much time and money on the cleaning process. Consuming bleached Bird’s Nest is hazardous to your health which is why you should make sure to buy your Bird’s Nest only from a trusted source.
TIP 5
Real Bird’s Nest will bloat when soaked in water.
During my Bird’s Nest educational exchange at Royal Bird’s Nest, I was shown both real and fake Bird’s Nest to learn how to spot the difference. To be honest, I’m not very good at it so soaking it would probably be the easiest way for me to tell.
TIP 6
Cave Bird’s Nest is not better than House Bird’s Nest
Cave nests generally commands a more expensive price compared to house nests but most cave nests contains pollutants or heavy metals contamination from the environment. The quality of house nest can be just as good (if not better) but it’s subjected to the knowledge and care of the owners that harvest and takes care of the Bird’s Nest.
TIP 7
Smell your Bird’s Nest
Another way to distinguish a real Bird’s Nest from a fake one is through smell. Genuine Bird’s Nest carries a little bit of fishy smell of the swallow’s saliva. When cooked, it gives off a light aroma resembling egg whites.
TIP 8
The quality of Moulded Bird’s Nest is the same as Strip Bird’s Nest
Moulded Bird’s Nest is just left to set on a plastic mould to get its recognisable shape but in terms of nutritional value and benefits, there is no difference so why pay more?
TIP 9
Bird’s Nest is best consumed on an empty stomach.
This will enable the nutrients to be absorbed readily into your body.
TIP 10
Always pick reputable Bird’s Nest Seller.
This is an important tip because once you find a good seller, you no longer have to worry about getting cheated.
I’ve learnt so much from Royal Bird’s Nest and I’m so glad to be able to share these knowledge with you too.
Feel free to shop around but if you are looking for a reliable brand, you could give Royal Bird’s Nest a try. Royal Bird’s Nest sells only 100% genuine bird’s nest, without any harmful chemicals, artificial colouring, or preservatives. They are processed and cleaned without any bleaching agent. Royal Bird’s Nest are able to guarantee product quality because the whole process from harvesting Bird’s Nest, cleaning, quality control, until packaging for retail outlets, are done by them, no third party involved.
To clean their Bird’s Nests, they use a technology of bursting of tiny bubbles in water to release explosive energy. Such energy combines with reactive oxygen will destroy pollutants like E. Coli, Fungi, Nitrate, and Nitrite in the bird’s nest while maintaining bird’s nests’ nutrition and essence. Although they also do have traditionally washed Bird’s Nest for sale as well, this new technology is able to achieve a cleanliness level that is unachievable through traditional washing method.
I love it that they have freshly brewed Bird’s Nest soup for those who do not have the time or patience to make it themselves.
At only S$12 a bowl, there is a choice of Bird’s Nest with Rock Sugar, Osmanthus or Ginseng. I love the one with Rock Sugar best.
I also highly recommend that you call and pre-order the premium concentrated version for S$68 nett. The portion is good enough to share between 2 to 3 persons.
If you don’t have time to come down to the store, they even offer free home delivery services (within Singapore)!
For those new to making Bird’s Nest, they even have a little starter kit with instructions.
For my readers, just quote “Renzze” for a 10% storewide discount on all products as well as S$2 off every Bird’s Nest soup purchased at Royal Bird’s Nest.
Royal Bird’s Nest
101 Upper Cross Street
People’s Park Centre #02-66
Singapore 058357
E-Mail: Mega@Royalnest.com.sg
Tel: 6223 9593
Operating Hours: Daily 11am – 8pm
Thanks for reading!
