You may or may not be aware of this – that edible bird’s nest is made from the saliva of swiftlets. 👀 Also known as the “caviar of the East” in the Chinese community, bird’s nest has been used in traditional Chinese medicine since the Tang and Sung dynasties.
Most nests are now raised on farms rather than being gathered from caves the way they used to. You have probably come across a swiftlet farm or house – they are these tall concrete blocks with only small holes on the sides of the building.
With bird’s nest gaining popularity especially among the younger crowd, bird’s nest has also become more affordable. Bird’s nest is known to have many health benefits from strengthening immune function, enhancing energy and metabolism to stimulating circulation. It is usually consumed as a drink or a dessert but as you can see from this list, there are other ways to enjoy the benefits of bird’s nest as well!
1. VNest Bird’s Nest
VNest started their journey in bird’s nest in 1999 through swiftlet framing and harvesting – they have hundreds of swiftlet houses throughout West Malaysia! Fast forward to 2003, they decided to set up a processing plant in Ipoh to turn their bird’s nest into edible products. With more than 20 years of experience in bird’s nest under their belt, they now cater to online customers so that their bird’s nest products are more easily accessible. FYI they even have a bird’s nest-themed café in Ipoh (can’t believe I have no idea about this!) where they serve all kinds of nutritious and creative bird’s nest delicacies. 🤤
2. Wowo Birdnest
I’m making an educated guess here but Wowo birdnest is probably named after the Chinese word for nest? Regardless of whether I’m right or wrong, the name is adorable! Serving handpicked bird’s nest and 100% homemade and freshly cooked birdnest, Wowo birdnest offers an affordable option with their 10-bottles package at RM361 (and free delivery!). If that’s too much, they also have 4-, 6- or 8-bottles package. You can choose between two flavours – Wowo A which is freshly boiled with organic sugar and Wowo B which is freshly boiled with organic red dates, goji berries and sugar. While Wowo A is their best seller, Wowo B is known to improve your skin complexion. You can even choose your desired sugar level – no sugar, less sugar or normal sugar.
3. Willingnest Birdnest
Established since 2003, Willingnest offers the most nutritious and safest freshly boiled bird’s nest for mothers and babies in Malaysia! Bird’s nest has been said to be the best supplement for pregnant women and eating it in moderation is enough to supply the nutrients that the foetus needs for healthy development. Sounds like it would make a wonderful gift for the expectant mothers in your life! Of course, you don’t have to be a mother or a baby to enjoy this. 😅 With four favours to choose from – original, honey rock sugar, osmanthus, and snow pear – you are spoiled for choice.
4. All things bird’s nest @ 92 Amernian
If you find yourself in Penang, make sure to drop by 92 Amernian for all things bird’s nest. (FYI they are Muslim-friendly.) You might have in your mind that bird’s nest can only be consumed in certain ways. If so, you will be pleasantly surprised to find the creations of Mr. Terry Lee, owner of 92 Armenian that have successfully introduced bird’s nest into a variety of food such as egg tarts, porridge, milk, etc. Most importantly, they are all very affordably priced! Their most popular and must-order item would be the Bird’s Nest Egg Tart but you must also try their Bird’s Nest Cheese Tart which has received many compliments!
Address: 92, Lebuh Armenian, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
5. Bird’s nest jelly @ Aileen’s Cuisine
Enjoy healthy guilt-free dessert with Aileen’s bird nest jelly! The story of Aileen’s Cuisine began with a mother’s strong passion and love for cooking. Along with her daughter’s encouragement and help, Aileen’s Cuisine was born. Using only premium ingredients, their bird nest jelly is freshly made upon order. This means that you need to pre-order at least 2 days in advance. Other than bird nest jelly, Aileen’s Cuisine also offers yummy and nutritious osmanthus jelly and lavender jelly with peach gum.
6. Bird’s nest jelly mooncake @ lunárr
Just in time for Mid-Autumn Festival, check out lunárr’s gorgeous mooncakes that are made with bird’s nest. Known as Colla-Crystal mooncakes, they are a healthy and low-calorie option compared to traditional mooncakes. Founded by Lynnneve and her partner Scott back in 2021, they sold out 650 sets within 3 weeks! Now that they are back again for this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, make sure you place your orders early. You can’t go wrong, the beautiful packaging that gives off a sense of luxury along with the delicious and healthy mooncakes inside makes it the perfect gift.
7. Bird nest extract @ Project B
Emphasizing on being bare and transparent with their entire product development process, Project B offers a range of unflavoured supplements so that consumers can customize and personalize the supplements according to their own needs. One of their offerings is the Project B Bird Nest which contains 100% bird nest extract. Each serving has a final yield that is five times more concentrated than that of conventional bird nest because only the most vital active components of the raw bird nest are extracted and compressed. Enjoying this product is easy – just add a teaspoon of it into your favourite drink once daily to reap all the benefits of bird’s nest. They are currently holding a National Sale that ends on 18th September, so make sure to take advantage of this!
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