Double-Boiled Bird's Nest with Lotus Seed, Lily Bulb and Red Dates

Why people make this dessert

A relative gave Bro Niu a box of precious bird’s nest, big beautiful pieces, to help him and his wife stay strong. He rarely buys such a luxury — usually he reaches for snow fungus or golden fungus, the “people’s bird’s nest,” because they too are rich in protein and trace elements. But out of respect for the gift, today he double-boils the nest with lotus seed, lily bulb and red dates: a dish traditionally associated with supporting immunity and easing the tiredness and restless sleep that come from depleted qi and blood. It is especially valued for the convalescent, the elderly, new mothers and breastfeeding mums.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• People recovering from illness, the elderly, postpartum and breastfeeding mums, or anyone feeling run-down.
• Avoid while you still have an unresolved cold or flu.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Bird’s nest (yan wo): prized for its active proteins; traditionally treasured as a gentle, easily absorbed tonic.
• Lotus seed (lian zi): traditionally used to strengthen the spleen and calm the mind.
• Lily bulb (bai he): traditionally used to moisten and soothe, and to settle restless sleep.
• Red dates (hong zao): traditionally used to nourish qi and blood.

Ingredients (2 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Bird’s nest, dried pieces (yan wo)	2 pieces	soak first
Lotus seeds (lian zi)	1 liang (~37 g)
Dried lily bulb (bai he)	1 liang (~37 g)
Red dates (hong zao)	6	pitted
Rock sugar (bing tang)	to taste

Method

1. Soak the bird’s nest in clean water for 4 hours; rinse the lotus seeds and lily bulb; pit the red dates.
2. Put all ingredients in a double-boil container with 2 bowls of warm water.
3. Double-boil (water-bath) for 1 hour. Serve.

Bro Niu’s tips

Bird’s nest contains active proteins that break down above 80°C, so it should only be double-boiled — the water inside a double-boil pot stays around 75°C. This is why a pressure cooker is unsuitable for bird’s nest: its fierce heat destroys those proteins. The dish supports metabolism and is a gentle tonic for men and women alike, but skip it while a cold or flu is still unresolved.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Angie): I want to simmer fu ling, bai zhu and white hyacinth bean to clear damp. With damp-heat (a yellow, thick tongue coating), can I still add tangerine peel? Bro Niu: Yes, add one tangerine peel. Eat less greasy, fried and grilled food, and you can also make a bitter-melon and cowpea lean-pork soup.
• Q (Priscilla): Some cordyceps on the market are snapped in pieces — does that affect the benefit? Bro Niu: If it is genuine cordyceps, broken pieces work just as well — but buy from a large, reputable shop.
• Q (Mrs. Leung): Is a pressure cooker suitable for making soup? Bro Niu: A pressure cooker is fine for other soups, but its heat is fierce and destroys active proteins, so do not use it for bird’s nest. That delicate protein is digested and absorbed quickly, which is why bird’s nest suits people recovering from illness or with a weak spleen and stomach.

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Published April 3, 2025 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.