Health Benefits of Birds Spit Soup

Swiftlets’ nests (Mandarin: Yan Wo) have been a prized delicacy among the Chinese for hundreds of years. Made primarily of hardened swiftlets’ saliva, the nests are one of the five elite, highly prized foods in Chinese culture, with the others being fish maw, ginseng, abalone and sharks’ fin. Once reserved for the emperors, swiftlets’ nests are now available for mass consumption, with the market in Hong Kong alone worth more than three billion Hong Kong Dollars annually (about USD 400 million).

Introduction:

Swiftlets, from the genus Aerodramus, are small, insectivorous birds. While their habitat spans from the tropical areas of the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, only nests from four species of swiftlets in South East Asia are edible. The most common nests are from the white- and black-nest swiftlets, while red blood nests are believed to be the most nutritious. The birds’ traditional habitat is in limestone caves, with the males taking 35 days to build the nests. However, with the price of unprocessed nests steadily rising to its current price of up to USD 2,700 per kilogram, enterprising individuals are increasingly enticing the birds to nest in man-made environments, typically in customized buildings, to facilitate harvesting.

Health Benefits of Birds Spit Soup

What is it that makes the Birds Spit Soups so desirable among the Chinese?

Consisting of carbohydrates, proteins and small quantities of mineral salts, the Birds Spit Soups are double boiled with rock sugar to make a sweet soup with gelatinous strands of nest. In traditional Chinese medical lore, the Birds Spit Soup is believed to enhance health, promote longevity and boost the immune system. Others believe that the soup aids digestion and may be a natural Viagra.

Studies have shown that Birds Spit Soup can boost the immune system by promoting cell division of immune cells. Additionally, Birds Spit Soup extract is proven to promote epidermal growth factor activity, which in turn helps the proliferation, differentiation and development of cells. This is hypothesized to slow down the aging process by promoting cell renewal. Scientists in Japan also claim that the nests help to combat flu.

The carbohydrate in the nests is found to contain sialic acid and glucosamine. Some believe that an external source of sialic acid may enhance brain functions in infants. However, scientists have failed to reach a consensus on the issue. Glucosamine, on the other hand, is believed to help patients with osteoarthritis and others suffering from joint pain.

The Chinese are great believers in the medicinal properties of this delicacy. Although many of the health benefits of swiftlets’ nests remain unproven, the industry continues to thrive, with the market experiencing double digit growth in recent years.

Nitrite and Nitrate Levels in Birds Spit Soup

Nitrites are not allowed to be added to Birds Spit Soup in Hong Kong , although it is known that they may exist naturally in Birds Spit Soup under certain conditions. Traders should source Birds Spit Soups from reliable suppliers and ensure all foods they sell or import are fit for human consumption. The common practice of soaking Birds Spit Soups for several hours, or even overnight, and washing them thoroughly with clean water can substantially reduce nitrite levels. Since nitrites are water soluble, The public should discard the water used for soaking Birds Spit Soup before cooking.

Nitrite and Nitrate Levels in Birds Spit Soup

Following up the incident of nitrites in blood-red Birds Spit Soup, a local university conducted a study on nitrite and nitrate levels in Birds Spit Soups revealing the presence of both chemicals in all 67 samples of Birds Spit Soups. The amounts varied significantly with blood-red Birds Spit Soups having the highest average levels.

In Hong Kong , nitrite and nitrate are not permitted to be added in Birds Spit Soup, but relevant regulation is not applicable to nitrite and nitrate naturally present in Birds Spit Soup. The mechanism of the natural presence of nitrite in Birds Spit Soup is not entirely clear. Some suggested that nitrite may be formed due to fermentation and the levels may vary with the extent of environmental contamination.

To alleviate public concern, the local university study also tested and confirmed that majority of nitrites and nitrates can be removed by washing and soaking. To reduce exposure to nitrites and nitrates, Birds Spit Soup should be washed and soaked for several hours or even overnight before cooking. Soaking water should be replaced once or twice during the process and be discarded.

Nitrite and Nitrate Levels in Birds Spit Soup

Nitrites in Blood-red Birds Spit Soup

Recently, high levels of nitrites were detected in blood-red Birds Spit Soup samples in the Mainland market. There were concerns that nitrites might have been added to Birds Spit Soup to produce the desirable red colour.

Birds Spit Soup is made from secretions of Swiftlets' salivary glands and usually consumed as a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. The reason for the red colour of blood-red Birds Spit Soup is not entirely clear.

Nitrites are not allowed to be added to Birds Spit Soup in Hong Kong , although it is known that they may exist naturally in Birds Spit Soup under certain conditions. Traders should source Birds Spit Soups from reliable suppliers and ensure all foods they sell or import are fit for human consumption. The common practice of soaking Birds Spit Soups for several hours, or even overnight, and washing them thoroughly with clean water can substantially reduce nitrite levels. Since nitrites are water soluble, The public should discard the water used for soaking Birds Spit Soup before cooking.

Travel: The truth about Birds Spit Soup

Swallows who make edible nests are not the strangest thing in Sabah in Borneo. There are the Wild Men, for a start.

Now I know that travel writers usually describe the places they visit in loving prose, so that the destination glows off the page, but I just have to tell you about the most disgusting place I've ever visited; the Birds Spit Soup caves of Gomantong.

Perhaps it was an effect of contrast. I was in Sabah in Borneo, the third largest island in the world and certainly one of the most beautiful. It lies in the South China Sea a few hundred miles east of Singapore. I had wanted to go there after reading Joseph Conrad's stories; I had pictures in my mind of steamy jungles and sparkling seas dotted with tropical islands. These impressions were all confirmed.

Travel: The truth about Birds Spit Soup

The southern half of Borneo now belongs to Indonesia and the northern half to Malaysia, split into two regions, Sarawak and Sabah. Bizarrely, Sabah once belonged to an Englishman, the publisher Alfred Dent, who leased it and eventually called it British North Borneo. There was a reminder of the embarrassing ways of the British Empire in the yacht club at Sandakan. One member, a Malaysian Chinese, jerked his thumb at the faded portraits of English club commodores lining the teak walls. The dates were of the early Fifties. "In those days the yacht club members didn't allow the Chinaman on the premises." The implication was obvious: he was showing me a welcome that my countrymen had not shown to his.

There are bleaker Imperial memories in Sandakan. The Japanese established a prisoner of war camp here during the Second World War, and 2,400 Allied prisoners were interned. Survivors were forced to march through dripping jungle for 150 miles, and those who could not walk any further were killed where they lay on the ground. At the end, only six escapees remained alive.

There is little to see of the POW camp today; the jungle quickly erases history.

A kindly sailor took us out to the turtle island of Pulau Selingan in his huge powerboat. We were touching 50 knots as we flashed past dozens of curious wooden structures standing in the shallow sea like rustic oil rigs. On top of each was a thatched hut. In the evening lanterns are lowered to attract fish, which are then netted out. There was a powerful fishy stench as we passed each one.

That starlit night we crouched on the island's beach and watched as a huge green turtle dropped 100 eggs into a pit she had dug in the sand. Soon 3-inch versions of their mother would be making a perilous journey down to the warm, dark sea.

I had vague memories from my childhood of the Wild Man of Borneo - the orang-utan. We went to see him at Sepilok, a rehabilitation unit that aims to make the inhabitants more wild, not less wild, so they may be returned to forest life. The gentle creatures would approach the feeding platform by swinging along ropes slung between the trees and then grab a rotten banana from the heap. Hanging by extraordinarily pink, hand-like feet, they would thoughtfully suck the fruit while gazing upside-down at the hooting, jabbering primates behind the fence.

Further inland we went to another, larger reserve that many people in the UK will have heard of: Mount Kinabalu. A few years ago a British Army team got famously stuck in Low's Gully, a nearly impassable jungle- filled slash down one side of the mountain. I say "nearly" because a group of climbers from Sheffield recently evened up the score by making the first ever traverse through it. The mountain stands in thick rainforest filled with spectacular plants; there are 1,000 species of orchid and the world's biggest flower, the 2-foot-wide red blossom of the rafflesia - named after the founder of Singapore.

If you decide to do the two-day trek up Mount Kinabalu you can soak away your aches in the Poring Hot Springs, a more welcome Japanese invention during the war. You could then stay in the delightfully named Poring Hostel for about pounds 2 a night.

Birds Spit Soup makes its appearance in one of the Doctor Dolittle stories, and I had always been fascinated by the idea. The swallows build their nests in limestone caves at Gomantong, about 12 miles from Sandakan. As you approach you pass the wooden huts of the nest collectors, who gather them with long, shaky wooden ladders and lots of courage. The incentive is money - about pounds 2,000 per kilo of nest.

As we entered the cathedral-sized cavern we were struck by an acrid stench. As our eyes adjusted to the darkness we realised that it was filled with a million wings; swallows, bats and insects. I swung a torch down and saw that I was wading ankle-deep in guano. I looked closer and I realised that the stuff was seething with life.

Insects of all kinds crawled in a loathsome manner across the floor. As we penetrated further, cockroaches crunched underfoot. At least six separate phobias were catered for in this noisome place.

As I staggered out into the sunlight I found that I was liberally bespattered with birdshit - in my hair, on my feet, on my clothes. Looking up into the trees my eyes met those of a orang-utan, the only one I'd seen outside a park. For a moment we both seemed to be wondering which one of us was the Wild Man of Borneo.

Proof of the Pudding

THE NESTS are made by swallows of the genus Collocali. What makes them remarkable is that the birds line them with saliva and pre-digested seaweed, which hardens to a translucent layer. There are many grades; the whiter, and the fewer feathers, the better. I bought two biscuit-sized pieces in the shape of hearts (they are an alleged aphrodisiac) for about pounds 15. They look a bit like nest, but there is no smell and little taste, their function being to provide texture to the soup. Simmered for three hours it tastes a bit like woven gelatin, or a well boiled loofah.

No Birds Spit Soup please, I can’t breathe: A look at some unusual allergies

People with food allergy must steer clear of the food item as it can turn fatal

 Avoid an allergic reaction

Having a fancy dish threaded with golden Birds Spit Soup may make most people's eyes shine, but not for 39-year-old Grace Chung.

Instead, she would poke and prod at her food to make sure there is none of the prized delicacy hidden somewhere.

Another person cannot exercise or exert himself within a few hours of eating shellfish.

These allergies, while uncommon, can cause unpleasant and even serious reactions in some people.

Last month, a 60-year-old woman who was allergic to prawns died after eating two pieces of prawn.

She had anaphylaxis, a severe reaction in which the immune system releases a flood of chemicals that can cause one to go into shock.

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This causes the blood pressure to drop suddenly and the airways to narrow, possibly blocking breathing.

A month before that, a three- year-old boy with a relatively common peanut allergy had to be given anti-allergy medication on board a Singapore Airlines flight.

He was vomiting and could not speak properly when other passengers started opening their packets of peanuts that had been served as a snack.

Though it is rare for a peanut allergy to be so serious, the incident is a reminder of how people's innocent actions can really hurt someone who has a serious food allergy.

Most food allergies are caused by common products such as shellfish, milk, nuts and eggs. The best way to avoid an allergic reaction is to avoid these foods altogether.

Here is a look at some of the less common allergies.

EDIBLE BIRDS SPIT SOUP

Last year, Ms Grace Chung took a bite of a mooncake, saw streaks of white jelly in it, and spat it out. It was a good thing the chief operating officer of Gleneagles Hospital acted fast as she is allergic to Birds Spit Soup, a costly delicacy used in the mooncake.

It has been 29 years since she tasted Birds Spit Soup at the age of 10. "Until now, every restaurant that I go to, I will ask if Birds Spit Soup is on the menu," she said. "I even asked the roadside stalls that I went to in Bangkok."

When she first tried Birds Spit Soup, the premium item was not as common as now. "I got very excited and ate a whole bowl of it," said the 39-year-old. "Within five minutes, I felt breathless. I then had a choking feeling and was gasping for breath."

Ms Chung, who had childhood asthma, thought it was a very severe asthma attack. Her mother took her to the nearest hospital, where the staff gave Ms Chung medication, pumped out the Birds Spit Soup from her body and put her on oxygen.

It was not just her breathing that was affected. Her eyes were also swollen and she had rashes all over her body.

Yet, within the year, Ms Chung ate Birds Spit Soup again as her mother wanted to be sure it was indeed the culprit. "Mum bought it from another shop and gave me just one teaspoon. I had a similar reaction," she said. "I thought I was going to die. My mum took me to hospital in a cab. She was crying."

Ms Chung has since stayed away from Birds Spit Soup. Regarded as the caviar of the East, it is made of the saliva of the swallow-like swiftlet.

Birds Spit Soup allergies were once the most common cause of food-induced anaphylaxis in Singaporean children in the 1980s and 1990s, said Dr Elizabeth Tham, an associate consultant at the division of paediatric allergy, immunology and rheumatology at the National University Hospital.

Although it is no longer the case now, people with the allergy are still seen regularly, doctors said. Those with suspected reactions should stop eating Birds Spit Soup and seek medical help immediately, said Dr Tham.

"Patients with such allergies may develop swelling in the lips or eyes, hives and throat tightness, and have difficulty breathing or even faint."

Dr Tham said there was an eight-year-old who went to the hospital's emergency department after eating a bowl of Birds Spit Soup. Within minutes of eating it, he had hives, swelling in the eyes and lips, as well as wheezing and difficulty in breathing.

"He received an adrenaline injection and antihistamines and was admitted for observation," she said. A skin test later confirmed the allergy.

Some people who have food allergy may occasionally test to see if they still react badly to a particular food "to try and allow their body to get used to it", said Dr Tham.

"This is highly discouraged. It is very dangerous and may lead to life-threatening reactions," she added.

Freddy Yap: Revived by Birds Spit Soup and chia seeds

Freddy Yap: Revived by Birds Spit Soup and chia seeds

Mr Freddy Yap, the founder of an online business, changed his diet after a health scare and watches what he eats

Six years ago, Mr Freddy Yap was at "the lowest point" of his life.
He slogged for long hours running his food-packaging business and wolfed down "rubbish food" such as fast food and economy rice meals - whichever was more convenient at odd hours.
The 48-year-old recalls: "I hardly slept as I was constantly thinking about how to make more money. I grew up in poverty and was afraid of being poor again."
The stress of the daily grind eventually took a toll on his health. On top of being on the brink of a burnout, he suffered from persistent coughing and had rashes on his body.
In 2011, he decided enough was enough. He took a year-long sabbatical and moved across the Causeway to live with his relatives in the Pahang countryside.
There, he had ample rest, took charge of his diet and regularly went on long nature walks. He also drank Birds Spit Soup almost every day as his cousin runs a Birds Spit Soup farm there.
As he recovered from his ailments, he spotted a business opportunity.
He says: "The Birds Spit Soup industry is not regulated and information on the quality and cleanliness of the nests are based on what the sellers tell customers."
A year later, he returned to Singapore and set up Superior, an online business selling mainly Birds Spit Soup and chia seed products.
To ensure the cleanliness of the Birds Spit Soups, which are sourced from swiftlet houses in Malaysia, he implemented a rigorous cleaning process that has been certified by the global food safety management standard - Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point.
The process includes cleaning the Birds Spit Soups with distilled water and sterilising them with ultraviolet rays. Superior also runs chemical tests to ensure the nests are free of contaminants such as nitrates that are present in bird faeces.

Mr Yap also sells a blend of five types of chia seeds that are sourced from Peru and Mexico. Instead of being milled, they are micro-sliced, which retains their nutritional properties.
Chia seeds, which are rich in antioxidants, are known as a trendy "superfood", while Birds Spit Soup is an old-school wellness food.
On his choice of products to sell, he says: "I am familiar with using both. I had smeared crushed chia seeds on my rashes, which helped to reduce the inflammation."
These days, he avoids deep-fried food and gets his Omega-3 fatty acids by consuming chia seeds.
Mr Yap is married to a 38-year-old who runs a spa and they have a five-year-old daughter. He also has a 16-year-old daughter and a 10 year-old son from a previous marriage.
He says: "I still love my curry puffs and laksa. Food gives me the greatest enjoyment, so it is all about having a balance."

WHAT ARE YOUR FONDEST MEMORIES OF FOOD?

The few times that my mother cooked her signature fried turmeric pomfret with sambal. She cooked this only once or twice a year as we were poor.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE EATING PLACES HERE?

I have been visiting Katong Laksa in Telok Kurau Road for more than 20 years. I will drive all the way from Sengkang, where I live, just to savour a bowl. The laksa gravy is thick and rich and I can taste the dried shrimp in it.
Another place I frequent is Xiang Signature Restaurant in Liang Seah Street, which serves Hunan cuisine. I always order the stir-fried cauliflower. The chef has good control of the heat, so the vegetables are soft yet crunchy. I also like the stir-fried frog leg in chilli, which wakes up my palate.
I like Wild Rocket in Upper Wilkie Road, which serves food that is surprising and teases the palate, such as the char kway teow that tastes like fried noodles, but which consists of thinly sliced cuttlefish.

WHAT IS YOUR COMFORT FOOD?

A good piece of wagyu steak in a thick ribeye cut. I prefer to have it done medium so it is char-grilled on the outside and soft on the inside.
When I am in Kuala Lumpur for work and have a steak craving, I drive to the Genting Highlands resort to dine at The Olive restaurant, which serves steak that has a melt-in-the-mouth texture.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE OVERSEAS FOOD DESTINATION?

I travel to Kuala Lumpur every two to three months. I go to Nadodi, an Indian restaurant. I like its egg kalaki with jujube fruit and fried chicken skin as the dish has a good mix of creaminess and crispiness.
I also like Dewakan restaurant in Shah Alam, which uses Malaysian produce. My favourite dish there is the crispy kailan with fermented fish sauce.

ARE YOU AN ADVENTUROUS EATER?

I have eaten horse meat in a steamboat meal in China. The meat is not as coarse as I had imagined.

DO YOU HAVE A DINING QUIRK?

I am particular about the freshness of food and drinks. I have sent back coffee that was overboiled, which gives a burnt taste, as well as stale oysters.

WHAT DO YOU COOK AT HOME?

On weekends, I like cooking fried rice with mixed vegetables, but I will use only cooked rice that has been left overnight as it has a firmer texture. I also like making ribeye and striploin steaks topped with a dash of teriyaki sauce.

HOW DO YOU CONSUME BIRDS SPIT SOUP AND CHIA SEEDS?

I make a drink with honey and ground chia seed twice a day and have a bowl of Birds Spit Soup daily. I like to add Birds Spit Soup to vanilla ice cream and to Korean ginseng chicken, to add sweetness and give them a more velvety texture.

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ANYONE TO HAVE A MEAL WITH, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

I would like to have a meal with myself as I have spent so many years entertaining people over food for work and have not had the time to appreciate food.

Birds Spit Soup & hashima: What's the difference?

Birds Spit Soup and hashima are two Chinese delicacies that can be found on menus at high-end Chinese restaurants in Singapore.

While it is commonly known that Birds Spit Soup is made from the saliva secretion of swiftlets, one might be surprised to discover that hashima is actually the fallopian tubes of snow frogs.

Besides having similar textures taste-wise, both ingredients are believed to enhance one's complexion and nourish the lungs, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Birds Spit Soup & hashima: What's the difference?

Benefits

Birds Spit Soup can help to clear phlegm and aid digestion, in addition to its purported benefits for the skin and lungs.

Hashima is also believed to improve memory and strengthen the immune system.

According to TCM specialist Eu Yan Sang, both are safe for the young and old to consume, and are suitable for pregnant women.

Both hashima and Birds Spit Soup contain active compounds like amino acids, which help build new muscle protein, produce antibodies, and repair damaged tissue.

Fatty acids like Omega-3s are found in hashima, and these acids are essential for building healthy cells which keep our skin plump and healthy.

Glycoprotein present in Birds Spit Soup also strengthens our immune systems and heals and regenerates tissues in our body.

Appearance

According to Eu Yan Sang, high-quality hashima has an irregular oval shape, with a white-yellowish surface and semi-transparent appearance. High-quality Birds Spit Soup are usually presented whole, with each 'nest' curved in the shape of a spoon.

Taste & preparation

Both Birds Spit Soup and hashima are sold dried and have to be rehydrated in water before they can be cooked and consumed.

Preparing Birds Spit Soup can be a particularly time-consuming process, requiring up to 10 hours of soaking and cleaning. Impurities have to be removed with tweezers when they have softened in water.

While they don't possess much flavour on their own, both delicacies are usually served in the form of 'tong shui' or Cantonese boiled desserts that are sweetened with rock sugar.

High-quality hashima should be smooth when cooked, and without any bitter after-taste. Consumption As hashima may contain hormones from frogs, Eu Yan Sang advises customers not to consume it together with drugs or other herbal medicines, so as to prevent any possible effects from herb-drug interactions. For Birds Spit Soup, the TCM specialist and retailer advises that it is best consumed on an empty stomach or at least three hours after dinner, for maximum nutrient-absorption. Price

A 50g portion of raw high-grade Birds Spit Soup can easily cost upwards of $200, while raw hashima typically costs less than half the price for the same portion.

That is why hashima is sometimes referred to as "a cheaper Birds Spit Soup".

The hefty price tag of Birds Spit Soup is thought to be partly due to its rarity and the dangerous and time-consuming harvesting process.

Besides the raw form, there are bottled versions of Birds Spit Soup and hashima too, so one can just grab a bottle on the go, instead of toiling over its preparation.

Premium Birds Spit Soup could fetch $21,660 per kg

Retail prices for premium-grade Birds Spit Soups could go as high as 100,000 yuan (RM66,625 or S$21,660) per kg in China.

The item is listed on a price guide on Birds Spit Soups by Beijing Tong­rentang, a 300-year-old pharmaceutical company in China.

Premium Birds Spit Soups fetch around 40,000 yuan (RM26,648) to 100,000 yuan for every kg while the standard variety costs between 20,000 yuan (RM13,318) and 40,000 yuan.

The Federation of Malaysia Birds Spit Soup Industry Merchant Asso­ciations president Datuk Lee Kong Heng confirmed that processed Birds Spit Soups in Guangzhou, inclusive of tax, fetched between 17,000 yuan (RM11,306) and 23,000 yuan (RM15,297).

"These are for those with proper export documentation," he said.

Currently, only processed Birds Spit Soups can be exported to China via 16 companies approved by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China.

Raw unprocessed Birds Spit Soups are not allowed into China, in line with a ban imposed in 2011, and are sold to local processing establishments for between RM2,500 and RM3,000 at present.

However, sources reveal that China's black market for raw nests could fetch a higher price.

The Prime Minister's Special Envoy to China Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting said both the Malaysian and the Chinese governments were keen to see the ban lifted.

"Both sides are working at the final stage of approval for the export of raw unprocessed Birds Spit Soups to China," he said, without giving a date.

Ong, who was involved in the mediation, said he expected the price of unprocessed nests to rise further once the agreement was ironed out.

He believed that the Chinese nationals' purchasing power held much promise for the industry.

Ong pointed out that the ban was a lesson to be learnt, urging industry players to adhere to a higher level of professionalism.

Premium Birds Spit Soup could fetch $21,660 per kg

Birds Spit Soup & hashima: What's the difference?

Birds Spit Soup and hashima are two Chinese delicacies that can be found on menus at high-end Chinese restaurants in Singapore.

While it is commonly known that Birds Spit Soup is made from the saliva secretion of swiftlets, one might be surprised to discover that hashima is actually the fallopian tubes of snow frogs.

Besides having similar textures taste-wise, both ingredients are believed to enhance one's complexion and nourish the lungs, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Benefits

Birds Spit Soup can help to clear phlegm and aid digestion, in addition to its purported benefits for the skin and lungs.

Hashima is also believed to improve memory and strengthen the immune system.

According to TCM specialist Eu Yan Sang, both are safe for the young and old to consume, and are suitable for pregnant women.

Both hashima and Birds Spit Soup contain active compounds like amino acids, which help build new muscle protein, produce antibodies, and repair damaged tissue.

Fatty acids like Omega-3s are found in hashima, and these acids are essential for building healthy cells which keep our skin plump and healthy.

Glycoprotein present in Birds Spit Soup also strengthens our immune systems and heals and regenerates tissues in our body.

Appearance

According to Eu Yan Sang, high-quality hashima has an irregular oval shape, with a white-yellowish surface and semi-transparent appearance. High-quality Birds Spit Soup are usually presented whole, with each 'nest' curved in the shape of a spoon.

Taste & preparation

Both Birds Spit Soup and hashima are sold dried and have to be rehydrated in water before they can be cooked and consumed.

Preparing Birds Spit Soup can be a particularly time-consuming process, requiring up to 10 hours of soaking and cleaning. Impurities have to be removed with tweezers when they have softened in water.

While they don't possess much flavour on their own, both delicacies are usually served in the form of 'tong shui' or Cantonese boiled desserts that are sweetened with rock sugar.

High-quality hashima should be smooth when cooked, and without any bitter after-taste. Consumption As hashima may contain hormones from frogs, Eu Yan Sang advises customers not to consume it together with drugs or other herbal medicines, so as to prevent any possible effects from herb-drug interactions. For Birds Spit Soup, the TCM specialist and retailer advises that it is best consumed on an empty stomach or at least three hours after dinner, for maximum nutrient-absorption. Price

A 50g portion of raw high-grade Birds Spit Soup can easily cost upwards of $200, while raw hashima typically costs less than half the price for the same portion.

That is why hashima is sometimes referred to as "a cheaper Birds Spit Soup".

The hefty price tag of Birds Spit Soup is thought to be partly due to its rarity and the dangerous and time-consuming harvesting process.

Besides the raw form, there are bottled versions of Birds Spit Soup and hashima too, so one can just grab a bottle on the go, instead of toiling over its preparation.