Genuine bird’s nest
-Unevenly structured with irregular length and thickness
-After soaking in water, (1) no traces of oil or stickiness (2) size can expand more than 7 times (3) a faint ‘egg-white’ smell
-A delicious and smooth taste
White translucent colour after stewing
Fake bird’s nest
-Evenly structured with regular length and thickness
-After soaking in water, (1) traces of oil, floating particles and stickiness (2) no significant enlargement (3) a strong ‘egg-white’ smell or fried and chemical smell
-A murky and cloudy colour after stewing
Four-step test:
(1) Observe
Genuine bird’s nest has strand-like fibres instead of chunks and pieces. After soaked in water, it presents a slight translucence under light instead of a full transparency.
(2) Smell
Genuine bird’s nest has mellow smell instead of oily or fishy odour
(3) Touch
After soaked in water, fake bird’s nest feel less elastic and dissolves into paste under pressure. Fake blood swiftlet and yellow swiftlet bird’s nest causes water to change colour.
(4) Burn
When burnt, genuine bird’s nest never has crackling sounds or sparks
(1) Tremella tastes harder than genuine bird’s nest
(2) Seaweed has fishier odour than genuine bird’s nest
(3)Bottled bird’s nest swell when stabilisers are added
(4) Bottled bird’s nest soup has darker colour when preservatives are added
(5) Bottled cave bird’s nest has impurity content as much as 85%
