Essence of chicken

A bottle of chicken essence

Essence of chicken or chicken essence is a drink that is popular in some Asian countries as a dietary supplement. It is often consumed for its believed health and nutritional benefits, and as a study aid for students.

History

Double-boiled chicken soup has traditionally been valued in Chinese culture as a health food, such as for people who are weak, ill, or recovering from childbirth or surgery.

In the early 19th century, British royal chef H. W. Brand created essence of chicken as a fat-free and easily digestible chicken broth for King George IV, who was in poor health, and who recovered after he drank the broth. After retiring from the palace in 1835, Brand started to sell the product as "Brand's Essence of Chicken", marketing it as for "convalescents and invalids". The product arrived in Asia in the 1920s and became popular among the Chinese community in colonies such as British Malaya (including today's Singapore and Malaysia), because it was seen as a "potent and convenient version of the traditional double-boiled chicken soup". It soon gained popularity among other ethnic groups as well.

Apart from Brand's, other brands that produce chicken essence include Eu Yan Sang and Goh Joo Hin, which sells the New Moon brand of chicken essence.

Production

Chicken essence is produced by cooking chicken meat in a water extraction process under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. The resulting liquid is concentrated and bottled as chicken essence.

Various traditional herbs have sometimes been added to chicken essence, such as cordyceps or ginseng.

Culture

Chicken essence is a common dietary supplement in Southeast Asia, as it is believed to have health and nutritional benefits, alleviate stress and fatigue, and improve cognitive performance. It is often consumed before examinations by students in parts of Asia, such as in Singapore, Malaysia, China, and Hong Kong. In Singapore, chicken essence is marketed as a study aid, and many parents give it to their children as they prepare for school examinations. The Straits Times wrote in 2015 that chicken essence is "indelibly associated with the Singaporean rite of passage of the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE)".

Formerly, chicken essence advertisements in Singapore often featured top scorers in the PSLE and other national examinations. In 2012, the Ministry of Education stopped announcing top scorers' names as part of changes intended to reduce educational stress and avoid "over-emphasis on academic results", prompting online commentators to question how chicken essence would now be advertised. Then–Minister of State for Trade and Industry Teo Ser Luck suggested focusing on students who had "overcome the odds" to do well instead. Supermarket operator FairPrice has given free breakfast bundles to students taking the PSLE, including chicken essence as well as breakfast foods such as bread, fruit and cereal.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Sun, Lijuan; Wei Jie Tan, Kevin; Jeyakumar Henry, Christiani (17 November 2015). "Co-ingestion of essence of chicken to moderate glycaemic response of bread". International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 66 (8): 931–935. doi:10.3109/09637486.2015.1088822.
  2. 1 2 3 Toh, Darel Wee Kiat; Wong, Chun Hong; Fam, Johnson; Kim, Jung Eun (4 March 2021). "Daily consumption of essence of chicken improves cognitive function: a systematically searched meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials". Nutritional Neuroscience. 24 (3): 236–247. doi:10.1080/1028415X.2019.1619984.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Richardson, Michael (30 July 1996). "A King's Chicken Soup Wins a Loyal Following". The New York Times. International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  4. ↑ Lum, Magdalene (24 March 1988). "Why double-boiled chicken soup may be good for you". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Chow, Clara (12 November 2006). "Crying fowl". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Regal heritage". Today. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  7. Clifton, Rita; Simmons, John; Ahmad, Sameena; Allen, Tony; Anholt, Simon; Thompson, Anne Bahr; Barwise, Patrick; Blackett, Tom; Bowker, Deborah; Brymer, Chuck; Doane, Deborah; Faulkner, Kim; Feldwick, Paul; Hilton, Steve; Lindemann, Jan; Poulter, Allan; Smith, Shaun (2003). Brands and branding. London: The Economist in association with Profile. ISBN 978-1861976642.
    1. 1 2 3 p. 202
  8. 1 2 "History Heritage - BRAND'S". Brand's. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 Leow, Annabeth (8 August 2015). "Foreign roots but part of rite of passage here". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Konagai, Chizuru; Watanabe, Hiroshi; Abe, Keiichi; Tsuruoka, Nobuo; Koga, Yoshihiko (23 January 2013). "Effects of Essence of Chicken on Cognitive Brain Function: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study". Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. 77 (1): 178–181. doi:10.1271/bbb.120706.
  11. ↑ Li, Y.F.; He, R.R.; Tsoi, B.; Kurihara, H. (April 2012). "Bioactivities of Chicken Essence". Journal of Food Science. 77 (4). doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2012.02625.x.
  12. ↑ "BRAND'S Essence of Chicken | Think Sharp and Quick". Brand's. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  13. ↑ "Buy Essence of Chicken with Cordyceps 6s for Lung Health | Eu Yan Sang Singapore". Eu Yan Sang. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  14. 1 2 Bhalla, Shobha Tsering (27 September 2005). "New moon rising". Today. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  15. 1 2 Castle, Jody-Lan (2 March 2016). "Top 10 exam rituals from stressed students across Asia". BBC News. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  16. Yang, Calvin (12 September 2016). "'Like the whole family is sitting the PSLE'". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
    1. ↑ "From getting their hands on past-year papers from elite schools to stocking up bottles of chicken essence, parents are gearing their children for the examination season, which starts this month."
  17. Gasmier, Mary Rose (23 September 1993). "Exams stress parents too". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
    1. ↑ "Parents are getting ready for the October school examinations—taking leave from work to feverishly balance ginseng tea in one hand and chicken essence packs on the other while juggling half a dozen assessment books." [...] '[...] My sons will remind me if I forget: "Where is my chicken essence?" They love it, they think it's the key to getting good results.'"
  18. 1 2 Ang, Kristiano (7 December 2012). "Singapore Aims to Curb Stress on Students". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  19. 1 2 Chew, Matthias (24 November 2012). "Netizens cluck: Who will endorse chicken essence?". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
    1. ↑ "But the biggest concern raised was the impact on the essence of chicken industry; its marketing strategy hitherto rested upon posters of top scorers holding up little bottles of the product."
  20. ↑ Leong, Sandra (1 January 2006). "Poster geniuses". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  21. ↑ "Page 1 Advertisements Column 2". The Straits Times. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  22. ↑ Yang, Calvin (12 March 2018). "PSLE top scorers get down to earth after the euphoria". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
    1. ↑ "For years, the names of top pupils emerged with lots of fanfare. Some even became poster kids for tuition centres and bottles of brain-friendly chicken essence."
  23. ↑ Ng, Jing Yng (21 November 2012). "No more naming of top students for national exams". Today. Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  24. ↑ Wong, Man Shun (21 August 2025). "Free breakfast for P6 pupils at Cheers, FairPrice Xpress outlets in September". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  25. ↑ Chow, Eugene (21 September 2024). "FairPrice Group gives away 12,000 breakfast bundles to PSLE students". CNA. Retrieved 14 November 2026.
  26. ↑ Chia, Laura (17 August 2026). "Free breakfast bundles for 12,000 P6 pupils at Cheers, FairPrice Xpress outlets in September". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 November 2026.