Also known as Bird’s Nest Soup, this sweet dessert soup is made from the nests of the swiftlet, a type of swallow. It’s very good to cook this for a special occasion. Authentic bird’s nests are quite expensive, not surprising given that the nests come from the hardened saliva of the swiftlet swallow. It could be a good choice for a romantic evening, as bird’s nest is rumored to be an aphrodisiac.

Swallow's Nest Soup

Ingridients:

• 2 ounces birds nest
• 7 to 8 tablespoons crushed rock sugar, or to taste
• 4 cups water

Directions:

1. Prepare the bird’s nest: soak it in cold water for several hours or overnight.
2. Rinse well. Go over the nests and pick out any loose feathers.
3. Boil the bird’s nests twice: Bring a pot of water to boil and simmer the bird’s nests for about 5 minutes. Again, rinse well and squeeze dry.
4. Place the bird’s nests in the pot and add the water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the bird’s nests are quite soft (up to 2 hours)
5. Add the rock sugar, stirring to dissolve. Serve the soup hot.