By Alina @ TLY
Bird's nest labels throw a lot of unfamiliar words at first-time buyers — cup, tael, S grade, double-boil — usually with no explanation anywhere on the box. This glossary defines each term in plain English and links out to a full guide for anyone who wants the deeper story behind it.
Key takeaways
- Shape words like cup, boat, and strip describe form only, not quality — all three can come from the same clean nest.
- Tael and catty are traditional weight units still used in the trade; TLY labels and sells its nest by gram and box weight.
- TLY's own grading is simple: S grade = Blue Label Supreme + Red Label Super; A grade = everything else in inventory.
- House-farmed nest is the modern standard; cave-harvested nest is a small, legacy category.
- Dry nest expands about 3-4 times its size when soaked, and TLY's own prep is a 4-6 hour (or overnight) soak followed by a roughly 40-minute double-boil.
The Bird's Nest Glossary
Terms are grouped by topic — shapes, cleaning, weight, grading, harvesting, and preparation — so related words sit together. Each entry links to a full article on that subject.
| Term | What it means | Learn more |
|---|---|---|
| Shapes | ||
| Cup | An intact nest shaped like a shallow bowl sliced in half — the most complete, unbroken form a swiftlet builds. | Cup, boat & strip shapes explained |
| Boat | An elongated, canoe-like nest built along a corner or beam — similar fiber to a cup, just longer and shallower. | Cup, boat & strip shapes explained |
| Strip | Loose strands or fragments separated from a cup or boat during harvest or handling — same fiber, smaller pieces. | Cup, boat & strip shapes explained |
| Cleaning | ||
| Raw | Freshly harvested nest before any cleaning — still holds feathers, down, and mineral debris. | Raw vs. semi-cleaned vs. fully cleaned |
| Semi-cleaned | Partially processed nest with the larger feathers removed by hand, though fine down and grit still need a home soak-and-pick. | Raw vs. semi-cleaned vs. fully cleaned |
| Fully cleaned | Nest picked thoroughly clean of feathers and debris and ready to soak and cook with minimal extra prep. | Raw vs. semi-cleaned vs. fully cleaned |
| Weight units | ||
| Tael | A traditional East Asian weight unit long used to price bird's nest, roughly 37.5 grams — still common shorthand in the trade even where nest is labeled by the gram. | What is a tael? How bird's nest is weighed |
| Catty | A larger traditional unit equal to 16 tael, roughly 604 grams. Catty pricing turns up in older trade price lists but rarely appears on a retail box today. | What is a tael? How bird's nest is weighed |
| Grading | ||
| S grade | TLY's designation for its top two collections — Blue Label Supreme and Red Label Super — reflecting the most consistent shape, color, and cleanliness in inventory. | Bird's nest grades explained: S vs. A |
| A grade | Everything else in TLY's inventory outside the S-grade collections — genuine, cleaned nest with more natural variation in shape and color. | Bird's nest grades explained: S vs. A |
| Harvesting | ||
| House-farmed | Nest built by swiftlets living in a human-built structure ("swiftlet house") designed to mimic cave conditions — the dominant modern source of edible bird's nest. | Cave nest vs. house nest · Inside a swiftlet house |
| Cave-harvested | Nest built on natural limestone cave walls and gathered by climbing harvesters — the original source, now a small share of global supply. | Cave nest vs. house nest · Inside a swiftlet house |
| Swiftlet | The small, fast-flying bird whose males build the nest by weaving strands of their own hardened saliva against a wall or ceiling — the source of every edible bird's nest. | Inside a swiftlet house · How bird's nest is harvested and cleaned |
| Whole vs. broken | ||
| Whole nest | An unbroken cup or boat sold intact — prized for presentation and traditionally priced higher than fragments. | Whole nest vs. broken nest |
| Broken nest | Fragments and strips of the same fiber, separated during handling — identical origin and cleanliness, priced more accessibly, and ideal for soups and everyday cooking. | Whole nest vs. broken nest |
| Preparation | ||
| Expansion | How much dry nest grows once soaked in water. TLY's nest expands about 3-4 times its dry size — never the inflated "6-8x" figure sometimes repeated elsewhere. | How much does dried bird's nest expand when soaked? |
| Double-boil | The traditional slow-cooking method: nest and water (often with rock sugar) sit in a covered bowl inside a larger pot of simmering water for about 40 minutes, cooking gently without a direct or rolling boil. | Why is bird's nest double-boiled? |
Once the vocabulary makes sense, applying it while shopping is straightforward. If you want a piece that holds its shape for presentation, look for whole cups or boats; if you're cooking soups or desserts for the family table, broken nest does the same job for less. For a first purchase, our Blue Label and Red Label collections are TLY's S-grade nest, our 5A collection covers our popular A-grade line, and Specialty Nest holds shape- and format-specific picks. Once your nest arrives, our guide on how to soak and clean edible bird's nest walks through the rest of the process step by step.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a cup and a boat shaped nest?
Both come from the same clean nest fiber. A cup is shaped like a shallow bowl sliced in half, while a boat is a longer, shallower, canoe-like shape built along a corner or beam. Neither shape indicates better or worse quality on its own — see our shapes guide for a full breakdown.
Is S grade always better than A grade?
At TLY, S grade refers specifically to our Blue Label Supreme and Red Label Super collections, and A grade covers everything else in inventory. Both are genuine, fully cleaned nest — S grade simply reflects the most consistent shape, color, and cleanliness across a box. Read more in our grading guide.
How much does dry bird's nest expand when soaked?
About 3 to 4 times its dry size and weight, once fully soaked for 4-6 hours or overnight. See the full explanation in how much does dried bird's nest expand when soaked.
Is cave-harvested nest better than house-farmed nest?
They come from the same swiftlet species and the same saliva-built process — the difference is where the nest is built. House-farmed nest is the dominant modern source; cave-harvested nest is a smaller, harder-to-access legacy category. Compare both in cave nest vs. house nest.
