Method :
- Prepare the bird's nest by
soaking it in cold water for several hours or overnight.
- Rinse well.
- Go over the nests and pick
out any loose feathers or dirt.
- Bring a pot of water to
boil and simmer the bird's nests for about 5 minutes.
- Again rinse well and
squeeze dry.
- Place the bird's nest in
the pot and add 2 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil and simmer
until the bird's nest are quite soft.
- Add the rock sugar,
stirring to dissolve.
- Serve the soup hot.
Note :
This nest of a tiny bird that
lives in cliffs mostly off the coast of southern China, Vietnam, Malaysia,
Thailand, and Borneo is considered a major tonic food. It is light gray
regurgitated Gelidium seaweed mixed with swallow saliva and needs
extensive attention to pick out extraneous items before washing, soaking,
cooking, and serving. This hand labor and the fact that it is difficult
and dangerous to gather nests makes them very expensive. Bird's Nest is
said to nourish kidneys, lungs, heart and stomach, and to regulate
circulation. As they are made with saliva, one of what the Chinese
consider to be three precious substances. Bird's nest, high in protein and
with reasonable amounts of calcium, iron, and riboflavin, is deficient in
three essential amino acids: lysine, methionine and tryptophan.
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