bird's-nest soup: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2formal/culinary/specialist
Quick answer
What does “bird's-nest soup” mean?
A Chinese delicacy made from the solidified saliva of swiftlets (small birds), forming their nests, which are dissolved and used to create a clear, gelatinous soup.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A Chinese delicacy made from the solidified saliva of swiftlets (small birds), forming their nests, which are dissolved and used to create a clear, gelatinous soup.
A luxurious and expensive soup, typically served as a status symbol or a special health tonic in Chinese cuisine.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Spelling may vary (hyphenation, apostrophe).
Connotations
In both varieties, it connotes extreme luxury, exoticism, and high cost. The cultural reference is identical.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both dialects, appearing primarily in culinary, travel, or cultural contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “bird's-nest soup” in a Sentence
[Subject] + serves/eats + bird's-nest soup[Subject] + is made from + bird's-nest[Quantity] + of + bird's-nest soupVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bird's-nest soup” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We might bird's-nest-soup our way through the banquet, metaphorically speaking.
adjective
British English
- The menu had a bird's-nest-soup option for an extravagant starter.
American English
- It was a bird's-nest-soup kind of occasion, very formal and expensive.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; might appear in luxury goods, import/export, or hospitality sector reports.
Academic
Used in anthropology, food studies, or East Asian cultural studies.
Everyday
Very rare; used when discussing exotic foods or luxury experiences.
Technical
Used in culinary arts, gastronomy, and food science contexts.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bird's-nest soup”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bird's-nest soup”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bird's-nest soup”
- Calling it 'bird nest soup' without the apostrophe-s (though common in informal usage).
- Thinking it contains meat or vegetables.
- Using it as a countable noun (e.g., 'two bird's-nest soups').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but specifically from the nests of the edible-nest swiftlet, which are constructed largely from the birds' solidified saliva, not twigs or grass.
The nests are rare, difficult and dangerous to harvest from high cliffs and caves, and demand is high, particularly in East Asia, where it is valued as a delicacy and tonic.
No, it has a very mild, subtle flavour. Its value lies more in its unique, slippery texture and its status as a luxury item rather than a strong taste.
This is a subject of debate. Concerns include overharvesting threatening swiftlet populations and the safety of harvesters. Sustainable 'farming' in swiftlet houses is now common.
A Chinese delicacy made from the solidified saliva of swiftlets (small birds), forming their nests, which are dissolved and used to create a clear, gelatinous soup.
Bird's-nest soup is usually formal/culinary/specialist in register.
Bird's-nest soup: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbɜːdzˌnest ˈsuːp/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbɝːdzˌnest ˈsuːp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To cost more than bird's-nest soup.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BIRD building its NEST not with twigs, but with spit, which ends up in a SOUP bowl as a luxury dish.
Conceptual Metaphor
LUXURY IS RARITY / HEALTH IS PURITY (due to its perceived medicinal properties).
Practice
Quiz
What is bird's-nest soup primarily made from?