Bird Saliva Soup & hashima: What's the difference?

Bird Saliva 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 Bird Saliva 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).

Bird Saliva Soup & hashima: What's the difference?

Benefits

Bird Saliva 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 Bird Saliva 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 Bird Saliva 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 Bird Saliva Soup are usually presented whole, with each 'nest' curved in the shape of a spoon.

Taste & preparation

Both Bird Saliva Soup and hashima are sold dried and have to be rehydrated in water before they can be cooked and consumed.
Preparing Bird Saliva 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 Bird Saliva 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 Bird Saliva 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 Bird Saliva Soup".
The hefty price tag of Bird Saliva 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 Bird Saliva Soup and hashima too, so one can just grab a bottle on the go, instead of toiling over its preparation.

About Bird Saliva Soup - The Benefits of Bird Saliva Soups

It has been proven by a German chemist, Emilfischer, more than a century ago that growth factors of the epidermis is made up of polypeptide chains consisting of amino acids from proteins. Glycine is formed when one water molecule is removed and the growth bond is known as a peptide bond. If this reaction continues, polypeptides containing various types of amino acids are formed. Many of the polypeptides with smaller molecules in animals, plants and bacteria possess important biological functions. Polypeptide hormones are some of the more important products.

Bird Saliva Soups contain a very important polypeptide hormone

It has been discovered that Bird Saliva Soups contain a very important polypeptide hormone – the Epidermal Growth Factor or EGF). This substance is found in most of the body fluids within the human body, and its content is the highest in milk and sperm. They are synthesized chiefly by the submaxillary gland and the duodenum and they possess various essential biological functions such as inhibiting the secretion of gastric juices and protecting the duodenum.

Genes of beauty

EGF also has another very important function and it has been nicknamed “genes of beauty” as a result thereof. It is able to stimulate the fission and propagation of various cells, promote cell division, repair skin damage speedily and bring about the healing of wounds caused by surgery and injuries. It affects the fineness and ageing of human skin and it motivates ageing skin, rejuvenating it and bringing back its luster and elasticity.

Take care of skin and keep youthful

The above discovery not only brought good news to women of the world. In fact, for the past years, famous movie stars from Hong Kong and Taiwan , especially females, have made Bird Saliva Soup their favourite. Bird Saliva Soup has helped them to take care of their skin and kept them youthful even under the stress of making movies or attending concerts. All these secrets have been made public through the media.
It can now be seen that Bird Saliva Soup possesses miraculous effects in beautifying skin. There are not only practical experiences proving this but also scientific proof. Mitochysis experts have even extracted a substance capable of improving immunity by promoting the fission of T cells and B cells from Bird Saliva Soup.

Supply human health

Lymphatic cells are important to immune cells in the human body and they include T lymphatic cells and B lymphatic cells. The mitochysis substance contained in Bird Saliva Soup stimulates lymphatic cells to improve immunity in the human body. It is also one of the basic substances contained in Bird Saliva Soup for supplementing human health.