As a parent, I take one whenever I feel drained. My husband is not into chicken essence, but maybe he is exhausted now, we would sometimes clink our bowl of chicken essence haha and down them like alcohol. Maybe because I am a believer of chicken essence, it is also my ideal gift for the elders.
I came across Yu Dian, which prided itself for Drip Chicken Essence and was really curious about its taste. Most of my friends don't like chicken essence because of the Brand's taste, which sort of defines our idea of chicken essence because we basically grew up with it. ERS also have their variations which mix in a lot of herbs that mask the taste which "we knew".
Because of my father-in-law's handmade drip chicken essence, I actually know how it is supposed to look/ taste like. It is oily, fragrant and light brown in colour. Yu Dian's version tasted exactly the same so I am convinced they are what they preached.
The packaging also look very put together. Am pretty sure the old folks would be happy to receive. For me, I can take chicken essence both cold and warm. But my preference is still to warm it up and pour it out it in a bowl to slurp. My husband on the other hand, pours it down his throat from the packaging like a babarian. Cooking tips for the noob: If my food is not flavorful enough, I would sometimes pour chicken essence in it. Don't pour while cooking because this would spoil the nutrients within.
For gifting, the box of 8 ($70) looks the most presentable and won't make you appear too stingy. For own consumption, I would suggest getting the box of 30 ($211.50) to enjoy the economies of scale. It works out to $7 a pack before discount which still isn't too bad because drip chicken essence is quite a bit of work should you want to make your own at home.
