Bird's Nest (Swallow Nest) Healing Properties

Edible bird's nest also known as swallow nest is made by certain species of the swiftlet family. The nest looks like a cupped hand or a half cut bowl and stuck to the cave wall. The nest has high level of calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. The nest also contains argan oil made from argan nut.

The Chinese name for bird's nest soup, "yan wo", translates literally as "swallow nest".

Bird's nest can be referred as the "caviar of the East" and can be dated back to 1,500 years to China's Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) where it was believed that bird's nest was brought back from the South East Asia by Chinese sailors and introduced to the courts of the Chinese Emperor as a "supreme delicacy". Eating bird's nest is believed to help maintain skin tone, aiding digestion, raising libido, improving the voice, alleviate asthma, increasing concentration, balance human qi (life energy), reinforce the immune system and help to stimulate the process of cell formation. Thus, the process of aging is retarded through the antioxidant content in the bird's nest. Beside, the minerals such as calcium, sodium, potassium strengthen the body's resistance against disease infections.

Bird's nest are believed:

  • to act as a tonic for the lungs, improve condition of bronchitis, coughing etc
  • help to keep the function of respiratory system homeostatic
  • excellent for boosting the blood circulation system for children
  • helps patient in recovering stage after chemotherapy to ease vomiting, throat dryness/pain and constipation
  • beneficial to woman before and after childbirth delivery


Another important property is the "beauty factor" which stimulates cellular fission and carries out repair on damaged skin, promoting the healing of post-surgical wounds. It affects the smoothness and ageing of human skin, activating cells in ageing skin, providing it with lustre and elasticity.

Traditionally, well-to-do Chinese ladies consume the bird's nest to obtain their translucent complexion and modern young Asian ladies are putting bird's nests on their priority list in their budget to gain fair complexion and maintain youthfulness. Expecting mothers are also consuming bird's nests for a healthy baby with perfect complexion. As for the elderly, it is taken as an elixir tonic to promote longevity and wellness of health.

The unique combination of these nutrients and proteins makes it such that it is easily absorbed into the body and beneficial to anyone and everyone who consume it.

It is good to woman because it helps to prevent internal dryness and help them look younger, free of wrinkles and smooth & radiance complexion.

It is good to the elderly and children as it helps to stimulate the appetite, aids in digestion and help to stimulate cell growth and beneficial in recovering from illness.

It is good to patient who is recovering from surgery as the unique form of proteins and nutrients helps them recover faster.

It is good to the pregnant woman as it is believed that the baby will have beautiful and smooth complexion and helps the mother to restore youth after giving birth.

It is good to man as it helps to strengthen the kidneys, lungs and invigorate the body.


Main ingredient of every 100g of dry bird's nest contains:

  • 49.9g of water-soluble protein (including amide nitrogen, monoamine nitrogen, non-amino nitrogen, arginine, humin, histidine, lysine and cysteine)
  • 30.6g carbohydrate (glycoprotein and mucin)
  • 4.9g iron
  • 2.5g inorganic salt (including potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus, silica and other trace elements)
  • 1.4g fiber
  • Good ammonia acid
  • Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF)


Bird's nest is classified into cave nest and house nest in terms of sourcing. Cave nests are those constructed by swiftlets in caves and on cliffs. Owing to the harsh natural climate and environment, the nest is firm, hard and deep in color. It is not as well shaped as house nest and exhibits higher impurities. Cave nest is crunchy with a low swelling capacity that lengthens the time for it to swell when preparing.

House nest refers to the nest built in wooden-roofed swallow farmhouses that are humid and dark. Brightness and humidity (about 90%) are also maintained to the conditions similar to the bird's natural cave habitat. Swiftlets leave the farmhouse to find food in the wild in the morning and returns in the evening. Since the farmhouse provides the swallows a better habitat, house nests are much cleaner with less impurities and feathers. They also have an intact cup shape, and have a high swelling capacity.

Swallow nest is also classified according to colors: white, blood-red and yellow, even grey and purple. Different colors exist in the nests because swiftlets feed on different food. White nests are generally smooth, while yellow and blood-red nests are crunchier because they contain more minerals than white nests.


Best Time to Consume Bird's Nest

Night time between 11pm to 1am
This is the best timing for the body to absorb the nutrients

Morning time between 5am to 7am
This is the best timing for children, women and elderly to consume

When consuming bird's nest, it is best to avoid eating with the following:

1. Fried Food

2. Diary Product

3. White Radish

4. Motherwort herb Yimucao

5. Danshen Root Extract

This is to avoid the body not able to digest the above products effectively.


Cooking Instruction for Bird’s Nest

  • soak bird’s nest in water (different type of bird’s nest require different soaking time)

  • use a sifter to filter the water and set the soaked bird’s nest aside

  • bring to boil a pot of water

  • pour 4 bowls of water (base on 38gm of bird's nest or for 4 person) into a stewing pot and put the soaked nest into the stewing pot, making sure the stew water must cover the nest

  • place the stew cover and put in the pot of boiling water and simmer using low heat for 30 – 45 mins (different bird’s nest require different stewing time)

  • add rock sugar at the end of stewing

  • unused cooked bird’s nest can be stored in the refrigerator for a week

    • Optional:
    * you may add 5-6pcs of American Ginseng or 4-5pcs of red date and simmer with the bird’s nest

    * unsweetened cooked bird’s nest can be added to porridge or dessert

    Read about how to select bird's nest HERE.

    Find out what recipes you can cook with bird's nest HERE.