Bird's nest

I am talking about edible bird's nest made from swiftlets' solidified saliva, which are then harvested for human consumption. There are 2 types of nests. Cave nests (natural environment) or cultivated nests (usually in dark, high ceiling buildings). I won't go into details on bird's nest. One can just google and there is an abundance of information on its history, what they are, its nutritional benefits etc.

As far as I am concerned, I'm not a big fan of bird's nest only because I am allergic to it. They are complex protein after all. It's been YEARS since I had them after a bad allergic reaction from having consumed them last. However, I read somewhere that cave nests are more pure with less allergic reactions as compared to home cultivated ones.

My post today is to document the day I have decided to give cave bird's nest another try.

1) Here is how thick a piece is.

2) Here is the approximate size on my palm.

3) I soak 2 pieces in water for a couple of hours until it softens.

4) And then I add about 2 bowls of water into the slow cooker, some rock sugar and boil the nests for 4 hours (on high)

5) Tada! Let cool, fill into glass jars and refrigerate. I had a small bowl of warm serving that night itself and waited for an allergic reaction. Ha!

But it was all good and I had a jar every night for the next 3 nights. Looks like I can consume cave nests after all! What a yay to end 2016 with!