Sea bird
nest / SBN (海底燕窝) is Eucheuma cottonii, a seaweed of the
Areschougiaceae family. It had been
major ingredient in carrageenan production, an important gelatin substitute in
food industry, for their gelling, thickening and stabilizing properties.
In recent
years, Eucheuma cottonii was
gradually introduced to consumer as health product, similar to the highly
invaluable birdnest / EBN. Due to its
lower cost, it is widely used in beverages, mixed with fruit juices, eaten as
salad, made into jelly, or tongsui.
SBN
smells fishy, if not properly washed. The
smell can be remove with prolonged soaking and repeated washing. After soaking and washing, the SBN will lost
its smelly odor, and the coloration. It is
now spongy, chewy and translucent.
EBN
easily costs up to USD 1,000/kg even for the lowest grade, while the best dried
SBN costs only a USD 12/kg !
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