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Thứ Tư, 11 tháng 7, 2018

Chrysanthemum & Wolfberry Konnyaku Jelly with Birds Saliva Nest

“A perfect summer snack?! Anytime, anyday…”

Singapore weather isn’t as hot as before and it rains pretty much lately, but I was still inspired to make these chrysanthemum & wolfberry (枸杞) konnyaku jellies as I could imagine some kind of soothing, healing, and peaceful feeling after eating it as my after-meal dessert. Arrh~~
Alright… it was also partly because papa had just done his cataract and eye Lasik surgery. So, I thought it would be nice to make some of these chrysanthemum and wolfberries goodies for him. Adding of Birds Saliva Nest was mainly for my benefit, and it sounded perfect for everyone, since we all liked Birds Saliva Nest!
Despite the extra effort to boil and filter the chrysanthemum petals and worlfberries, this konnyaku dessert is very simple to make as the konnyaku jelly premix is easily obtainable from major supermarket at a very economical price. I got the Redman brand konnyaku power premix (already blend in malic acid and sugar) from NTUC Fairprice at about S$2.50 for 250gram packet.

As for the chrysanthemum , I used the better graded chrysanthemum flower, Gongju (贡菊), which has smaller and more compact petals. These dried flowers are usually packed and sold at any Chinese medical halls or Asian supermarkets for S$5 – $7 a packet. Another type of white chrysanthemum (杭白菊) which has bigger petals is good, too. Its main benefit is to aid for better eye sight, while the one I used is mainly to clear the ‘heatiness’ in the body, and it is less sweet but stronger in taste. The usual yellow chrysanthemum (野黄菊) which yields slight bitterness aftertaste, is also fine to use. Generally, all types are good and beneficial to be consumed, but my personal preference is the small ‘Gongju’, which deemed the best suitable for making jellies.

How about the Birds Saliva Nest? Real Birds Saliva Nest used? Yes, I used the instant Guan Yan Zhan (官燕栈) Birds Saliva Nest from Lo Hong Ka for my daily consumption ever since into second trimester of my pregnancy. Alternatively, use the bottled Birds Saliva Nest (in heavily sweetened liquid). If this is the case, I would suggest an alternate type of konnyaku jelly power which is unsweetened so that you could use the whole bottle of Birds Saliva Nest together with its sweetened liquid.
Or, simply don’t use the konnyaku powder! Make your own jelly with the traditional agar-agar (seaweed) strips (菜燕条) or gelatin sheets (or powder form). Simply dissolve your desired gelling agent, and add sugar (together with the sweetened Birds Saliva Nest liquid) into the boiled (and strained) chrysanthemum water (Alright, I will show you the exact steps next time). This is just an idea to share with you… Otherwise, forget the Birds Saliva Nest for this time round as it might be too much effort for the meant-to-be simple dessert making. :)
Anyway, Matthew (one of the fans from my FB fan club wrote on my wall) was right. This sounds like a perfect summer snack (smile)!

Serves 40 Jellies

Ingredients

250g Konnyaku jelly power premix (without flavouring/ colouring), store-bought
30 dried chrysanthemum flowers, briefly rinsed
1-2 tablespoons of wolfberries, rinsed and placed in a small disposable tea bag
2-3 tablespoons of instant Birds Saliva Nest (Any brand)
1250ml of water

Method

1) Boil water in a large pot over high heat. When boiled, add chrysanthemum and wolfberries and use a spatula to gently mix it. Bring the ingredients to a boil again before heat off. Thereafter, cover pot with lid to let it stand for another 10 minutes in order to let flavour released even greater.
2) Use a clean strainer to filter the flower petals and also remove the wolfberries bag from the pot (keep the wolfberries for use later). Retain the chrysanthemum water in the pot and reheat on low fire. Now, add Konnyaku jelly mix gradually. Keep stirring the mixture while simmering for about 5 minutes. Heat off and wait for the bubbles to dissipate.
3) Remove the wolfberries from the tea bag and split them equally among the jelly moulds. Pour the boiled jelly mixture into moulds and leave it to cool at room temperature for 3 minutes. Then, add in the Birds Saliva Nest. Let it cool for another 5-10 minutes before chilling it in the refrigerator. Ready to serve.
Alternative way to make this jelly:**Add gelatin sheets/ powder to firm (directions on the right amount to use should be stated on its packaging), and sugar to taste, into the boiled chrysanthemum water, instead of konnyaku jelly powder premix.
1 jelly counts less than 10kcal.
Tips: It’s ok to leave out a little bit of these edible chrysanthemum petals in the pot. These tiny petals will only make your jellies looked even nicer, and its insignificant amount won’t affect the taste and mouthfeel of the jelly. If you really mind eating even a single petal, use a large disposable tea/ soup bag to boil the chrysanthemum, then.
* Some konnyaku jelly brands come with flavour/ colour. Don’t use the flavoured konnyaku jelly powder. Original pre-mix powder is the best as the chrysanthemum tea will yield natural yellowish colour in the jelly which looks very nice and natural.
* Do not discard the chrysanthemum just after one time boil for the jelly making. Simmer the same chrysanthemum again in a pot of hot boiled water (for 1 minute then cover pot with lid to let it stand for another 5 minutes) for the second time and to be drank as tea.

Birds Saliva Nest Pineapple Cakes (燕窝黄梨酥)

“Birds Saliva Nest incorporated into pineapple paste filling, just feeling luscious this Lunar festival.”

Making these into cake blocks in order to stuff in more Birds Saliva Nest into its pineapple filling. The chunks of pineapple cake would look more generous this way.
Same pineapple filling recipe I had previously, or even store-bought readymade kind of pineapple paste will do the job. Only the crust was made with slight difference this time.

Ingredients

400g plain flour
2 tablespoons of milk powder
4 tablespoons of icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
250g of cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
4 tablespoons of cold water
10g of dried Birds Saliva Nest pieces (燕窝碎)
1 thumb-sized rick sugar
400g pineapple paste filling
Egg wash (Optional):
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon of evaporated milk

Method

(1) Birds Saliva Nest: Soak Birds Saliva Nest in filtered (or room temperature drinking) water in a glass bowl, for 30 minutes. Drain until just about 1 tablespoon of water remains. Place rock sugar on the soaked Birds Saliva Nest. Steam for 1 hour, or until Birds Saliva Nest expanded and softened till jelly-like consistency. Cool, drain away excessive liquid, and set aside.
(2) Mix Birds Saliva Nest into pineapple paste. Then, divide Birds Saliva Nest pineapple paste into small balls of about size of 20cents. Set aside.
(3) Crust: Combine plain flour, milk powder, icing sugar and salt. Sieve into a large mixing bowl. Rub butter cubes onto the flour mixture with your finger tips, until all butter cubes are used up and flour mixture turns sand-like crumbs. Mix in cold water to form dough. Simply gather the crumbs and form into dough will do. Do not need extra kneading.
(4) Place crumbly dough on a large sheet of cling wrap. Wrap it and store in the fridge for 30 minutes. Bring out to cool a little, oil your palm, and start dividing the dough to make crust.
(5) Flatten each part of dough by kneading it, or lay a sheet of cling wrap on the dough and use rolling pin to roll over to flatten it. Place a ball of Birds Saliva Nest pineapple in the middle of the dough, wrap around and seal the opening. Place it into your desired mould design to form shapes, arrange each pineapple cake dough onto lined baking tray. Repeat steps for the rest.
(6) Bake on preheated oven at 160deg Celsius, for about 10 minutes. Combine egg yolk and milk. Brush thin layer of egg wash on the surface of the almost baked pineapple cakes, continue baking for another 2 minutes. Leave cakes to cool on rack before storage, or serve.

Each pineapple cake counts about 100kcal.

Tips: Birds Saliva Nest, as we only need it in the mixing, use those types in loose strips, corner or broken pieces which priced cheaper than those in whole complete piece. Broken pieces Birds Saliva Nest costs about $45 for 37.5g of a decent grade.
* If the chilled dough is too crumbly to be kneaded, leave it for a while, or add a little bit of oil either on your palms or onto the dough and it will be softened after some kneading done.
* Line baking tray with parchment paper. Need not to grease the tray.
* It’s ok if you want to use just normal fresh milk for the egg wash.
* In fact, you may omit the egg wash, if desired. Pineapple cakes do not really require egg wash. :)

Bizarre Bites: Birds Saliva Nest

Every once in a while I stumble upon a food and think, “What sick mind came up with this idea in the first place?” Birds Saliva Nest falls into that category. I’d like to meet whoever first decided to soak a Birds Saliva Nest in water overnight, then pick feathers and feces out of the nest, add it to a bowl of chicken broth, onions, sherry, and egg white, and then start eating. C’mon, that’s insane.

Spit Soup

The soup’s flavor depends largely on the geographic region of the nest. I love nests harvested near the ocean. They offer a sea-salty, briny flavor (the birds eat primarily saltwater fish, the nests are full of their saliva, spewdom, and droppings. It only makes sense that the nests would taste of the sea!). Some chefs like to play up the salty flavor (and sometimes slimi- ness) of the soup. I’m cool with that. To me, it just tastes like Mom’s chicken soup—seasoned with Birds Saliva Nest and lots of slimy chunks.
However, the Chinese (as well as some Taiwanese and Indonesians) have enjoyed this gelatinous, soupy delicacy for hundreds if not over a thousand years. The soup isn’t made from any old nest. The soup calls for the nest of a bird called the swiftlet or cave swift. These birds produce special nests found not in trees but in caves throughout southern Asia, the south Pacific islands, and northeastern Australia.
As you can imagine, it’s not easy to attach a nest to a cave wall. These industrious birds use a mixture of seaweed, twigs, moss, hair, and feathers to fashion the nest. The truly bizarre secret ingredient: saliva. Male birds gorge themselves on seaweed, which causes them to salivate like a Labradoodle at a picnic. Saliva threads, which contain a bonding protein called mucilage, spew out of the bird’s mouth. Once dry, the saliva acts as cement. The crafty avian will continue to build on to the nest until it can support the weight of its bird family. The process usually takes about forty-five days.

Swiftlet Factoids

The birds live in southern Asia, the south Pacific islands, and northeastern Australia.
Swiftlets have four toes and short legs, so they cannot perch, but they can cling to vertical surfaces like the side of a cave or their nests.
A swiftlet’s diet is made up of insects and more insects, with insects for dessert.
Swiftlets mate for life, and both the male and female take care of the babies.
Swiftlets typically lay one to two eggs.

Saliva Facts

Saliva is 98 percent water. The other 2 percent is made up of electrolytes, mucus, antibacterial compounds, and various enzymes.
Saliva is used in the first part of digestion. It moistens food and starts to break it down with its enzymes. It also helps to create a food bolus to help us swallow. Our mouths, with the help of saliva, roll our chewed food into a ball, so the food goes down the esophagus and not the trachea.
When you have to vomit, there is a signal sent to your brain and you create extra saliva. This makes the vomit less acidic, protecting your throat, mouth, and teeth from burning and decay.
The average person makes 700 milliliters of saliva per day. That’s the equivalent to more than two cans of soda.
Your spit production slows down when you sleep.
The mouth is the most unsanitary part of your body. It houses about 10 billion bacteria.
Saliva rinses the mouth to reduce the bacteria amount, but at night when its production slows down, there is very little cleaning being done. That’s why we often wake up with bad breath. We smell all of the bacteria that have built up overnight. It’s mouth B.O.

3 Easy Steps to Cook Birds Saliva Nest 燕窝

Anybody don't fancy Birds Saliva Nest?? Yes. Hub don't. But yet he will complain to his friends that I didn't offer him a bowl every time I cook it. I did lei, but you rejected. So not I didn't offer ok.
It is easy to cook Birds Saliva Nest but sometimes I am just plain lazy to soak it. When I was expecting both kids, I started to consume Birds Saliva Nest starting from the 5th month onwards. It was a weekly indulgence and I had a big bowl all by myself! So much that it can be treated as a meal .My excuse back then was, " Eh hello, I am eating for 2 ok." Muahahah.

3 Easy Steps

What you need?
Small Slow Cooker
1 Piece Birds Saliva Nest
2 Pandan Leaves
Rock Sugar

Steps;

1) Soak the Birds Saliva Nest in water for 2 hours.
2) After 2 hours the Birds Saliva Nest will ballon and look like this. Drain the water and add 2 cups of fresh water, 3 Tablespoon Rock Spoon and Pandan Leaves. Set temperature to high and cook it for 2 hours.
3) After 2 hours of slow cooking, your Birds Saliva Nest is ready!
Note: You may want to add wolf berries, red dates, dried longan for more nutrients. I prefer the original Birds Saliva Nest flavor.
Do adjust the sweetness to your taste.

Medicinal Use of Birds Saliva Nest

For more than 1500 years, the Chinese has used Birds Saliva Nest as one of the property to treat several diseases, and act as anti-aging and anti-cancer. It is believed to contain high nutritional and wide-range of medicinal values to enhance health and promote life span. However, Birds Saliva Nest is unique because it does not only have medicinal use, but can also be enjoyed as a delicious food.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Birds Saliva Nest is strongly recommended to cure asthma, cold, cough, influenza, weak blood, and cancer. It is also found that Birds Saliva Nest can boost libido, enhance physical strength, and is absolutely effective as a health tonic. Some research have proven that Birds Saliva Nest contains mainly amino acids, carbohydrates and mineral salts, which are all beneficial to human body, i.e. repair cells, promote immunity, demonstrate an epidermal growth factor (EGF) to resist aging, help with respiratory and digestive system, etc.
Doctor Hien Duc Pham, OMD, who has been a practicing Oriental Chinese Medicine Doctor in Colorado for more than 20 years, saw that Birds Saliva Nest has helped cigarette smokers to reduce cravings after three weeks of Birds Saliva Nest consumption, including to improve their oxygen intake. He also found that Birds Saliva Nest helped patients to stop using marijuana as the withdrawal discomfort were lessened along with Birds Saliva Nest consumption with other medicinal herbs and ingredients. Besides, he prescribed Birds Saliva Nest for high blood pressure patients, diabetes and COPD patients.
In addition to what mentioned above, Dr. Pham observed that Birds Saliva Nest can help to create a cooling and soothing effect, therefore reduce depression and suicidal thoughts, together with better circulation and decreasing heat in the brain. It also can help to restore the sex drive for women over the age of 45, and improve their hair and skin quality. However, Birds Saliva Nest is not a cure-all as he mentioned there are some limitations to when the doctor would prescribe it

Nitrite in Birds Saliva Nest

Some scientific studies have shown that nitrite may naturally form in Birds Saliva Nests due to fermentation under certain temperature and humidity. Some studies also suggested that high level of nitrite in Birds Saliva Nest may due to environmental contamination e.g. from bird droppings which contain high level of nitrate. However, the exact mechanism for the presence of nitrite in Birds Saliva Nest is not entirely clear at this stage.

Introduction

In 2011, surveillance conducted by Mainland authority and local studies found that nitrite was present in various Birds Saliva Nests, in particular blood-red Birds Saliva Nest, available at the market.
Nitrite occurs in the environment, in food and water, and is produced inside living organisms. It can be used as a food additive, mainly as a preservative and colour fixative in foods such as cheese and cheese products as well as cured and fermented meats.

Some scientific studies have shown that nitrite may naturally form in Birds Saliva Nests due to fermentation under certain temperature and humidity. Some studies also suggested that high level of nitrite in Birds Saliva Nest may due to environmental contamination e.g. from bird droppings which contain high level of nitrate. However, the exact mechanism for the presence of nitrite in Birds Saliva Nest is not entirely clear at this stage.

Safety and Public Health Significance

The safety of nitrite in food has raised concern because of its possible implication for the adverse health effects such as methaemoglobinaemia and cancers.
In the body, nitrite can oxidise haemoglobin in blood and make it unable to carry oxygen to the body tissues. Having insufficient oxygen, the person may develop blue or purple colouration in the lip and skin and the condition is called methaemoglobinaemia. Population subgroups such as young infants and people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency are more susceptible to the above condition. According to the Centre for Health Protection record, since 2003 there were two cases of nitrite related food poisoning and both were related to consumption of vegetables with high levels of nitrate in infants and young children.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization has evaluated the carcinogenicity of ingested nitrite and concluded that ingested nitrite under conditions that result in endogenous nitrosation (i.e. conversion into nitroso compounds such as nitrosamines) is probably carcinogenic to humans (i.e. Group 2A). However, JECFA * considered that there was no evidence for an association between nitrite exposure in humans and the risk of cancer.
JECFA has evaluated the safety of nitrite and allocated an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0-0.07 mg per kg body weight (bw), expressed as nitrite ion and the ADI does not apply to infants below the age of 3 months. According to the results from recent local studies, any adverse health effect due to the consumption of thoroughly washed, soaked and stewed Birds Saliva Nest is not likely.

Regulatory Control

Like other countries, nitrites (potassium nitrite and sodium nitrite) are permitted preservatives in a number of food categories e.g. cured meats, fermented meats, cheeses and cheese products, but do not include Birds Saliva Nests in Hong Kong . However, Section 3(10) of the Preservatives in Food Regulation stated that it does not apply to an article of food containing any food additive that is naturally present in that food.
For Birds Saliva Nests containing naturally formed nitrite, there is no international consensus on their reference and regulatory levels.

Recommended Preparation Method for Birds Saliva Nest

In practice, dried Birds Saliva Nest should be thoroughly washed and soaked before stewing. Both local and Mainland studies have showed that thoroughly washing and soaking for a few hours can in general remove substantial quantity (up to more than 90%) of nitrite in Birds Saliva Nest. However, since nitrites are dissolved into the soaking water, they should be discarded after soaking. Water used for soaking Birds Saliva Nests should also be replaced once or twice during the soaking process. The public can also refer to the suppliers' recommendation when preparing Birds Saliva Nest.

Advice to the Public

Buy Birds Saliva Nests from reliable premises.
Since nitrite is water-soluble, washing and soaking Birds Saliva Nests thoroughly can in general remove up to more than 90% of nitrite.
Water used for soaking Birds Saliva Nests should be replaced once or twice and should be discarded after use.
Young infants are not recommended to take Birds Saliva Nest.

Advice to the Trade

Source Birds Saliva Nests from reliable suppliers.
According to the Preservatives in Food Regulation, nitrites should not be added in Birds Saliva Nest.
Provide clear instruction to consumers on proper way of preparation of Birds Saliva Nest.

Food Safety Focus

Nitrite and Nitrate Levels in Birds Saliva Nest & Nitrites in Blood-red Birds Saliva Nest

Nitrite and Nitrate Levels in Birds Saliva Nest

Following up the incident of nitrites in blood-red Birds Saliva Nest, a local university conducted a study on nitrite and nitrate levels in Birds Saliva Nests revealing the presence of both chemicals in all 67 samples of Birds Saliva Nests. The amounts varied significantly with blood-red Birds Saliva Nests having the highest average levels.
In Hong Kong , nitrite and nitrate are not permitted to be added in Birds Saliva Nest, but relevant regulation is not applicable to nitrite and nitrate naturally present in Birds Saliva Nest. The mechanism of the natural presence of nitrite in Birds Saliva Nest 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 Saliva Nest 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.

Nitrites in Blood-red Birds Saliva Nest

Recently, high levels of nitrites were detected in blood-red Birds Saliva Nest samples in the Mainland market. There were concerns that nitrites might have been added to Birds Saliva Nest to produce the desirable red colour.
Birds Saliva Nest 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 Saliva Nest is not entirely clear.
Nitrites are not allowed to be added to Birds Saliva Nest in Hong Kong , although it is known that they may exist naturally in Birds Saliva Nest under certain conditions. Traders should source Birds Saliva Nests from reliable suppliers and ensure all foods they sell or import are fit for human consumption. The common practice of soaking Birds Saliva Nests 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 Saliva Nest before cooking.

What is a Blood Birds Saliva Nest?

One Birds Saliva Nest is more prized than all others – the blood Birds Saliva Nest.

Also known as red Birds Saliva Nests, the origins of their striking color are almost as legendary as the high price they command.

The history of this beautiful Birds Saliva Nest goes back thousands of years, and, along the way, there are multiple explanations as to why these normally white nests take a decidedly red turn.

The First Legend: Blood Birds Saliva Nests Are Made From Blood

The swallows (also known as “swiftlets”) that make Birds Saliva Nests use their saliva to build the gelatinous strands that create the nest.
Think back to hundreds of years ago, before the average person had access to the kind of scientific information we do today. How would you explain the color of the nests?
Your first instinct may be to attribute the color of this delicacy to actual blood. This is, in fact, one of the explanations of the color of these nests.
The thinking is that female swallows have to build multiple nests over their lifetime to accommodate their young. They work hard to construct these nests strand by strand.
In the course of their labor, their saliva glands are strained and blood starts to seep out.
That blood mixes with saliva and the result is a crimson-colored liquid. In this sense, the blood-stained building material is not very different than someone adding a few drops of food coloring to cement.

The Second Legend: Blood Birds Saliva Nests Are Made From Lotus Seeds

While the first explanation about why some Birds Saliva Nests are blood red is a matter of the swallow’s body, the second is a matter of the bird’s diet.
The delicious red Birds Saliva Nests you prepare for soup or dessert, some say, is actually the result of what the swallow eats.
One of the bird’s favorite foods in its Southeast Asian habitat is the lotus flower, a common plant with round seeds that, in some cases, have a dark red hue to them.
The swallow snacks on these seeds, and, as they eat them, the color from the seeds is transferred to their mouth, kind of like how a sucker can change the color of a child’s mouth to red, blue, green and more.
The bird’s then fly back to their home to build a nest. As they generate saliva, it mixes with the color from the lotus seeds and creates the blood-colored Birds Saliva Nests.
The Likely Explanation: Blood Birds Saliva Nests Are Made by Chemical Reactions
For hundreds of years, the origins of the delicacy that is the red Birds Saliva Nest remained the realm of hypothesis and legend.
However, now that the Birds Saliva Nest industry is a multi-billion-dollar economy, scientists have taken notice and conducted multiple studies about the health benefits of Birds Saliva Nests as well as the origins of their colors.
The most recent studies have shown that diet and actual blood don’t have anything to do with the crimson-colored Birds Saliva Nest.
Research proves that the nests get their color from common chemical reactions that take place in the bird’s habitats.
The edible nests of swallows who live in caves absorb minerals from the limestone walls to which they cling.
Since their caves tend to be saturated with humidity, the water and oxygen in the air mix with the minerals from the rocks and form a sort of “rust” that gives the nest its dazzling color.
Other studies have explored the idea of the nests gaining their color by way of chemical reactions involving sodium nitrate derived from a mix of the bird’s droppings, urine and other environmental materials.
This theory explains why red nests can be harvested from nest farms where limestone is not present.

How to Avoid Fakes and Where to Buy Blood Birds Saliva Nests

Because red Birds Saliva Nests can demand such a high price, thousands of fake red nests have hit the market. A few years ago, the fakes became such a problem that China banned red-nest imports from certain countries.
The criminals behind these nests use red-tinted sodium nitrate to color the nests. While they may look authentic in the box, these nests’ red color tends to bleed when you soak them before cooking.
The best way to avoid fakes is to buy from a reputable company like Golden Nest. Our quality-control process ensures that every red Birds Saliva Nest you get is authentic and made by natural processes free of dangerous chemicals used in excess by criminals.