Birds Nest Soup?

Question

Is birds nest soup really made from birds nests, and if so, who would have thought it was going to be nice to eat in the first place??

Answer 1

yeps it is, tried it in malaysia tastes and looks like spit

Answer 2

The Taiwanese............and yes, the "birds nest" is a REAL birds nest, make from twigs and the sputum and excrement of the nesting swallow, a small indigenous bird to Taiwan.....

Taste??  Like bird dung, I thought......and those nests, they have to harvest them from caves, I saw this on Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, who will obviously eat anything....live or dead.........

Christopher

Answer 3

made from cave swallow spit/mucous.  Sounds tasty, huh?  I've had it many times before -  not much taste to it at all- more of a texture thing.  I think it probably started with the ancient Chinese royal court- they were always looking for exotic things to eat.

Answer 4

Yes it is a real dish and I can't imagine what the first person was thinking about, unless it dropped from a tree in a pot.

Answer 5

i thought it was from swallows' spit.

But its nice though, i like it. :)

Answer 6

What? That sounds gross, but I guess it is high in fiber.

Answer 7

Bird's Nest Soup

Authentic bird's nest soup is made using the nests of the swiftlet, a tiny bird found throughout southeast Asia.  The swiftlet lives in dark caves, using a method of echolocation similar to the bat to get around. Instead of twigs and straw, the swiftlet makes its nest from strands of its own gummy saliva, which hardens when exposed to air.  Humans who harvest the swiftlet nests often come from families that have made their living this way for generations.  Prying the nests from the cave walls is extremely dangerous, and many harvesters die each year.

Once the nests are harvested, they are cleaned and sold to restaurants, where they are served simmered in chicken broth. While I have never tried authentic bird's nest soup, apparently it is an acquired taste - many westerners think it tastes quite rubbery the first time they try it.  However it is quite popular throughout Asia, perhaps because it has the reputation of being an aphrodisiac.  It is also costly; many western restaurants serve a less expensive version consisting of soup with noodles shaped to resemble a bird's nest.

BIRD'S NEST SOUP



Recipe By     :

Serving Size  : 6    Preparation Time :0:00

Categories    : Chinese                          Soups/stews



   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method

--------  ------------  --------------------------------

    3 1/2   oz           (approx) dried bird's nest

    6       c            Rich chicken stock for soup

    1       lg           Chicken breast

    2       tb           Cornstarch

    2       tb           Rich chicken stock for paste

    1       tb           Dry sherry

      1/4   c            Rich chicken stock

    2                    Egg whites

    1       t            Salt

    2                    Green onions, minced

    1       tb           Minced Smithfield ham



   Preparation:  Soak bird's nest in cold water

   overnight. Drain and rinse. Spread softened nest

   pieces on plate; pick out prominent pieces of

   “foreign” matter (e.g. feathers, twigs) with tweezers.

   Debone chicken breast, remove membrane and muscle

   fiber, pound meat with cleaver handle to break down

   tissue, mince chicken until it is pulp. Make medium

   thick paste with cornstarch and chicken stock.

  

   Cooking:  Bring rich chicken stock for soup to boil.

   Immediately add bird's nest; simmer 30 minutes. Mix

   dry sherry and remaining stock; dribble slowly into

   minced chicken. Lightly beat egg whites with a fork;

   fold gently into chicken so they are not completely

   blended. Add salt to soup. Bring soup back to boil and

   add chicken mixture slowly so soup does not cool. When

   soup returns to boil, it is ready to serve. You can

   hold it at this point on low heat. Pour into serving

   bowl, garnish with green onions and ham.