The Ultimate Guide to Buying Bird’s Nest: How to Spot the Highest Quality Nest

Bird’s nest is a nutritious delicacy, and with its increasing popularity, sophisticated fakes have also emerged. When purchasing bird’s nest, it’s essential to buy from a reputable and trusted source. To distinguish between a genuine and fake bird’s nest, pay attention to the following key points:

Observe the structural fibers of the bird’s nest

A genuine bird’s nest has a fibrous structure, with strands intertwining in a similar fashion to loofah. Its shape resembles a curved bow or a sail, giving it a coarse appearance.

When held, a real bird’s nest feels sturdy, with a thin rim and a thick body. This thickness is characteristic as bird’s nests adhere to walls and cliffs, requiring a thin rim and substantial body.

On the other hand, fake bird’s nests often have a uniform thickness throughout. When held up to the light, the genuine article will allow light to pass through, appearing as an opaque white.

Fake nests feel more like a solid block, with a softer and more uniform fiber distribution. They are noticeably lighter and coarser than authentic nests. The fibers of a fake nest appear smoother, and when held up to sunlight, they exhibit a transparent quality due to their composition of starch or egg whites…

Taste the bird’s nest

When selecting a bird’s nest, you can pluck a strand and immediately taste it to discern its authenticity. A genuine bird’s nest will have a subtle sweetness, reminiscent of egg whites. In contrast, fake nests often have an excessive sweetness due to the addition of sugar, which serves to bind the strands and prevent mold.

Color and Odor of the Bird’s Nest

Authentic bird’s nests are typically opaque white, sometimes with a yellowish tinge, and carry a slightly fishy odor from the saliva of the swiftlets. In contrast, fake nests tend to have a bright white color and a strong bleach-like smell. If you’re purchasing a red bird’s nest, the genuine article will have a distinct fragrance and be orange-yellow or bright red. In contrast, a fake red bird’s nest will have a pungent fishy smell and usually be a deep red color.

The genuine article will have a characteristic fishy and musty odor, which persists over time. In contrast, a fake nest will smell of seafood, like squid or fish. This musty smell in authentic nests is natural, as they are formed in the wild. Notably, after stewing, the characteristic fishy smell of genuine nests remains, while the smell of bleach becomes apparent in fake nests.

Test its elasticity

When held and gently squeezed, a genuine bird’s nest exhibits high brittleness and easily crumbles. In contrast, a fake bird’s nest has some elasticity and will break into chunks.

Expansion of the bird’s nest

After stewing, a genuine bird’s nest will retain its characteristic fishy smell, and the strands will expand fully. Even when used in soups and boiled for extended periods, authentic nests do not dissolve or become mushy. On the other hand, fake nests release a strange odor when boiled, and the strands expand minimally or even shrink due to their starch composition. No matter how well a bird’s nest is counterfeited, boiling it for about five minutes will cause it to dissolve.

Expansion when soaked in water

When soaked in water, a genuine bird’s nest will double in size, while a fake nest will show little to no expansion. Gently stirring a genuine nest will cause bubbles to form on the water’s surface, whereas a fake nest will make the water cloudy due to the dissolution of starch and additives.