About Edible Bird Nest - Types of Edible Bird Nests

Edible Bird Nests are classified according to the location where the nests are built, edibility, external features, colour, quality and cleanliness and they can basically be classified into two main categories:

• Cave Edible Bird Nest: (including whole cave Edible Bird Nest pieces, cave Hydrochous Gigas and Collacalia Maxima)

Cave Edible Bird Nest refers to the nests built by swiftlets in natural stone walls or limestone caves. These Edible Bird Nests absorb lots of minerals and they are usually beige or yellow in colour and they are more solid. They contain more fine feathers compared to house Edible Bird Nests and contain more impurities. They expand 2-3 times upon soaking and require longer soaking time. They are delicious after stewing, taste better and can be stewed for longer hours.

• House Edible Bird Nest: (including common white Edible Bird Nest pieces and house Hydrochous Gigas Edible Bird Nest)

House Edible Bird Nest built in swift houses and used by swifts for nesting. Swiftlets build their nests on the beams and walls in these houses, resulting in a slight taste of sawdust in such Edible Bird Nests. Houses used by swiftlets to build nests are known as swift houses. Workers check the Edible Bird Nests on a regular basis and will only harvest them when the time is right. As Edible Bird Nests are covered with feathers and other impurities, it is necessary to send them for cleansing at the Edible Bird Nest factory where feathers and other impurities are removed. House Edible Bird Nests are higher in quality, with less feathers and less impurities. They expand better in water and on the average, they expand 5 to 7 times their original size. They taste smoother but they cannot be stewed for long hours. They are normally stewed for 30-45 minutes before they are ready to be served. If stewing exceeds such periods (more than 1-2 hours), the Edible Bird Nest will dissolve in water and disappear.

About Edible Bird Nest - Types of Edible Bird Nests

*Whether it is house Edible Bird Nest or cave Edible Bird Nest, they are nests built by Collocalia ciphaga swiftlets and their nutritional value is almost at par.

• Edibility

Swiftlets normally use twigs, straws and earth to build their nests and there are no edible contents. There are only three major types of Edible Bird Nests and the purity in protein contents and nutritional value of the saliva secreted by Collocalia ciphaga swiftlets is the highest.

• Collocalia ciphaga Edible Bird Nest {Official Edible Bird Nest}:

Collocalia ciphaga Edible Bird Nest means Edible Bird Nests built with pure saliva of swiftlets, with minimum impurities, in strips, with high affinity for water, able to expand 7-8 times and is the best quality Edible Bird Nest. They are usually white, yellow, red or grey in colour.

• Collacalia Maximus Edible Bird Nest:

Collacalia Maximus is a type of cave swiftlet and they have less saliva. They build their nests using feathers mixed with saliva and they are lighter in colour, usually white or yellow.
Collacalia Maximus Edible Bird Nest require more processing. The nests must be broken up and soaked in water before feathers and impurities are removed. They are then made into Edible Bird Nest strips, Edible Bird Nest balls and Edible Bird Nest biscuits.
As it requires more processing, their nutritional value and price are lower than Collocalia ciphaga Edible Bird Nests. Collacalia Maximus Edible Bird Nests also have a lower water affinity compared to Collocalia ciphaga Edible Bird Nests, thus they do not expand so much.

• Hydrochous Gigas Edible Bird Nest:

Hydrochous Gigas Edible Bird Nest may be divided into house Hydrochous Gigas Edible Bird Nest and cave Hydrochous Gigas Edible Bird Nest. They are mostly found along the coastal regions. From their name (in Chinese), we know that Hydrochous Gigas swiftlets use their saliva and straws to build their nests, and that is why these Edible Bird Nests contain pieces of straws. Hydrochous Gigas Edible Bird Nests come from swiftlets with specially sticky saliva. These swiftlets love to use young straw and their saliva to build their nests. Their Edible Bird Nests therefore are high in impurities and their Edible Bird Nest content is the lowest among the three types of swiftlets and so is its price. They are usually sold as broken Edible Bird Nest and Edible Bird Nest strips.

• External features and shape

They are principally divided into whole Edible Bird Nest pieces, narrow Edible Bird Nest pieces, Edible Bird Nest corners, broken Edible Bird Nest, Edible Bird Nest balls, Edible Bird Nest biscuits and Edible Bird Nest strips. Whole Edible Bird Nest pieces refer to Edible Bird Nests which are intact after having undergone cleansing.

• Whole piece Edible Bird Nest:

These are curved or boat-shaped Edible Bird Nest which has been selected from the Edible Bird Nest harvested, with feathers removed, before they are sold. As whole piece Edible Bird Nests are naturally obtained, their shapes and sizes differ but these type of Edible Bird Nests are thicker than other types of Edible Bird Nests. They also possess higher nutritional value, with better flavor and better expandability when soaked. They are the cleanest among all Edible Bird Nests and they have high expandability. If swiftlets built their nests on the beams in swift houses, the Edible Bird Nests produced will be boat-shaped.

• Narrow Edible Bird Nest pieces:

These are whole piece Edible Bird Nests which have been accidentally broken during harvesting and delivery or whole piece Edible Bird Nests which have been cut into narrow strips or Edible Bird Nests which have been separated after careful selection. Although they are not attractive physically, their quality and method of preparation are similar to whole piece Edible Bird Nests.

• Edible Bird Nest corners:

They are the hardest portions at both ends of whole piece Edible Bird Nests and they are the places where the concentration of saliva from swiftlets is the highest. They require longer soaking time (six to eight hours) and Edible Bird Nest corners are normally separated from whole piece Edible Bird Nests and soaked separately. The Edible Bird Nest corners are usually torn into smaller pieces prior to soaking so that they expand more easily. They expand more compared to whole piece Edible Bird Nests and are more crispy.

• Broken Edible Bird Nests:

These are as a result of breakage during harvesting and transportation or during the cleansing process and they are made up of small amounts of Edible Bird Nest.

• Edible Bird Nest biscuit:

These are made from broken Edible Bird Nest during harvesting which have been processed and compressed into different shapes (such as rhombus, sphere, crescent and rectangular) and their quality is one grade below that of whole piece Edible Bird Nests.

No Edible Bird Nest please, I can’t breathe: A look at some unusual allergies

People with food allergy must steer clear of the food item as it can turn fatal

 Avoid an allergic reaction

Having a fancy dish threaded with golden Edible Bird Nest may make most people's eyes shine, but not for 39-year-old Grace Chung.
Instead, she would poke and prod at her food to make sure there is none of the prized delicacy hidden somewhere.
Another person cannot exercise or exert himself within a few hours of eating shellfish.
These allergies, while uncommon, can cause unpleasant and even serious reactions in some people.
Last month, a 60-year-old woman who was allergic to prawns died after eating two pieces of prawn.
She had anaphylaxis, a severe reaction in which the immune system releases a flood of chemicals that can cause one to go into shock.

This causes the blood pressure to drop suddenly and the airways to narrow, possibly blocking breathing.
A month before that, a three- year-old boy with a relatively common peanut allergy had to be given anti-allergy medication on board a Singapore Airlines flight.
He was vomiting and could not speak properly when other passengers started opening their packets of peanuts that had been served as a snack.
Though it is rare for a peanut allergy to be so serious, the incident is a reminder of how people's innocent actions can really hurt someone who has a serious food allergy.
Most food allergies are caused by common products such as shellfish, milk, nuts and eggs. The best way to avoid an allergic reaction is to avoid these foods altogether.
Here is a look at some of the less common allergies.

EDIBLE BIRD NEST

Last year, Ms Grace Chung took a bite of a mooncake, saw streaks of white jelly in it, and spat it out. It was a good thing the chief operating officer of Gleneagles Hospital acted fast as she is allergic to Edible Bird Nest, a costly delicacy used in the mooncake.
It has been 29 years since she tasted Edible Bird Nest at the age of 10. "Until now, every restaurant that I go to, I will ask if Edible Bird Nest is on the menu," she said. "I even asked the roadside stalls that I went to in Bangkok."
When she first tried Edible Bird Nest, the premium item was not as common as now. "I got very excited and ate a whole bowl of it," said the 39-year-old. "Within five minutes, I felt breathless. I then had a choking feeling and was gasping for breath."
Ms Chung, who had childhood asthma, thought it was a very severe asthma attack. Her mother took her to the nearest hospital, where the staff gave Ms Chung medication, pumped out the Edible Bird Nest from her body and put her on oxygen.
It was not just her breathing that was affected. Her eyes were also swollen and she had rashes all over her body.
Yet, within the year, Ms Chung ate Edible Bird Nest again as her mother wanted to be sure it was indeed the culprit. "Mum bought it from another shop and gave me just one teaspoon. I had a similar reaction," she said. "I thought I was going to die. My mum took me to hospital in a cab. She was crying."
Ms Chung has since stayed away from Edible Bird Nest. Regarded as the caviar of the East, it is made of the saliva of the swallow-like swiftlet.
Edible Bird Nest allergies were once the most common cause of food-induced anaphylaxis in Singaporean children in the 1980s and 1990s, said Dr Elizabeth Tham, an associate consultant at the division of paediatric allergy, immunology and rheumatology at the National University Hospital.
Although it is no longer the case now, people with the allergy are still seen regularly, doctors said. Those with suspected reactions should stop eating Edible Bird Nest and seek medical help immediately, said Dr Tham.
"Patients with such allergies may develop swelling in the lips or eyes, hives and throat tightness, and have difficulty breathing or even faint."
Dr Tham said there was an eight-year-old who went to the hospital's emergency department after eating a bowl of Edible Bird Nest. Within minutes of eating it, he had hives, swelling in the eyes and lips, as well as wheezing and difficulty in breathing.
"He received an adrenaline injection and antihistamines and was admitted for observation," she said. A skin test later confirmed the allergy.
Some people who have food allergy may occasionally test to see if they still react badly to a particular food "to try and allow their body to get used to it", said Dr Tham.
"This is highly discouraged. It is very dangerous and may lead to life-threatening reactions," she added.

About Edible Bird Nest - Selection of Edible Bird Nests

• Shape and volume

Spoon-shaped Edible Bird Nests are most welcome while triangular-shaped Edible Bird Nests are caused by shaping due to nests being built too close to corners of walls but their nutritional values are the same. Naturally shaped and large Edible Bird Nest pieces determine the classes of Edible Bird Nests.

• Colour and cleanliness

Different types of minerals are contained in the food sought after by swiftlets and the colour of the saliva secreted by them has different shades. The colour of Edible Bird Nests becomes lighter when they are soaked in water; they expand and the strips of Edible Bird Nests become transparent while the water in which they are soaked remains clear. Be extra careful if the Edible Bird Nests are extremely white. This type of Edible Bird Nest could have been bleached and this would drastically reduce their nutritional value or they may even harm the human body.

About Edible Bird Nest - Selection of Edible Bird Nests

• Density and expansion coefficient

The finer and more concentrated the Edible Bird Nest strands, without empty gaps in between and Edible Bird Nest pieces which are larger and thicker would expand more when soaked. Different classes of Edible Bird Nest possess different expansion coefficient, that is their weight would increase several times after soaking compared to their dry weights. “Expansion coefficient” is a technical word used in the industry to mean the affinity for water. The higher the expansion coefficient, the more the Edible Bird Nest expands. Expansion coefficient should be calculated based on weight rather than volume.

• Price and dampness

Natural pure Edible Bird Nests possess the taste of swiftlet saliva and a slight fishy smell, while there is a slight fragrance of proteins upon stewing. Always choose dry Edible Bird Nests with a sticky feeling when held in your hand. Those which feel soft are definitely not dry. Besides containing lots of water, and apart from being disliked, they are not suitable for storage as they get moldy easily and their expansion coefficient is lower.

• Price and reliability

The selection and purchase of Edible Bird Nests is best done at reliable outlets for assurance of quality.

Freddy Yap: Revived by Edible Bird Nest and chia seeds

Mr Freddy Yap, the founder of an online business, changed his diet after a health scare and watches what he eats

Six years ago, Mr Freddy Yap was at "the lowest point" of his life.
He slogged for long hours running his food-packaging business and wolfed down "rubbish food" such as fast food and economy rice meals - whichever was more convenient at odd hours.
The 48-year-old recalls: "I hardly slept as I was constantly thinking about how to make more money. I grew up in poverty and was afraid of being poor again."
The stress of the daily grind eventually took a toll on his health. On top of being on the brink of a burnout, he suffered from persistent coughing and had rashes on his body.
In 2011, he decided enough was enough. He took a year-long sabbatical and moved across the Causeway to live with his relatives in the Pahang countryside.
There, he had ample rest, took charge of his diet and regularly went on long nature walks. He also drank Edible Bird Nest soup almost every day as his cousin runs a Edible Bird Nest farm there.
As he recovered from his ailments, he spotted a business opportunity.
He says: "The Edible Bird Nest industry is not regulated and information on the quality and cleanliness of the nests are based on what the sellers tell customers."
A year later, he returned to Singapore and set up Superior, an online business selling mainly Edible Bird Nest and chia seed products.
To ensure the cleanliness of the Edible Bird Nests, which are sourced from swiftlet houses in Malaysia, he implemented a rigorous cleaning process that has been certified by the global food safety management standard - Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point.
The process includes cleaning the Edible Bird Nests with distilled water and sterilising them with ultraviolet rays. Superior also runs chemical tests to ensure the nests are free of contaminants such as nitrates that are present in bird faeces.

Mr Yap also sells a blend of five types of chia seeds that are sourced from Peru and Mexico. Instead of being milled, they are micro-sliced, which retains their nutritional properties.
Chia seeds, which are rich in antioxidants, are known as a trendy "superfood", while Edible Bird Nest is an old-school wellness food.
On his choice of products to sell, he says: "I am familiar with using both. I had smeared crushed chia seeds on my rashes, which helped to reduce the inflammation."
These days, he avoids deep-fried food and gets his Omega-3 fatty acids by consuming chia seeds.
Mr Yap is married to a 38-year-old who runs a spa and they have a five-year-old daughter. He also has a 16-year-old daughter and a 10 year-old son from a previous marriage.
He says: "I still love my curry puffs and laksa. Food gives me the greatest enjoyment, so it is all about having a balance."

WHAT ARE YOUR FONDEST MEMORIES OF FOOD?

The few times that my mother cooked her signature fried turmeric pomfret with sambal. She cooked this only once or twice a year as we were poor.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE EATING PLACES HERE?

I have been visiting Katong Laksa in Telok Kurau Road for more than 20 years. I will drive all the way from Sengkang, where I live, just to savour a bowl. The laksa gravy is thick and rich and I can taste the dried shrimp in it.
Another place I frequent is Xiang Signature Restaurant in Liang Seah Street, which serves Hunan cuisine. I always order the stir-fried cauliflower. The chef has good control of the heat, so the vegetables are soft yet crunchy. I also like the stir-fried frog leg in chilli, which wakes up my palate.
I like Wild Rocket in Upper Wilkie Road, which serves food that is surprising and teases the palate, such as the char kway teow that tastes like fried noodles, but which consists of thinly sliced cuttlefish.

WHAT IS YOUR COMFORT FOOD?

A good piece of wagyu steak in a thick ribeye cut. I prefer to have it done medium so it is char-grilled on the outside and soft on the inside.
When I am in Kuala Lumpur for work and have a steak craving, I drive to the Genting Highlands resort to dine at The Olive restaurant, which serves steak that has a melt-in-the-mouth texture.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE OVERSEAS FOOD DESTINATION?

I travel to Kuala Lumpur every two to three months. I go to Nadodi, an Indian restaurant. I like its egg kalaki with jujube fruit and fried chicken skin as the dish has a good mix of creaminess and crispiness.
I also like Dewakan restaurant in Shah Alam, which uses Malaysian produce. My favourite dish there is the crispy kailan with fermented fish sauce.

ARE YOU AN ADVENTUROUS EATER?

I have eaten horse meat in a steamboat meal in China. The meat is not as coarse as I had imagined.

DO YOU HAVE A DINING QUIRK?

I am particular about the freshness of food and drinks. I have sent back coffee that was overboiled, which gives a burnt taste, as well as stale oysters.

WHAT DO YOU COOK AT HOME?

On weekends, I like cooking fried rice with mixed vegetables, but I will use only cooked rice that has been left overnight as it has a firmer texture. I also like making ribeye and striploin steaks topped with a dash of teriyaki sauce.

HOW DO YOU CONSUME EDIBLE BIRD NEST AND CHIA SEEDS?

I make a drink with honey and ground chia seed twice a day and have a bowl of Edible Bird Nest soup daily. I like to add Edible Bird Nest to vanilla ice cream and to Korean ginseng chicken, to add sweetness and give them a more velvety texture.

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ANYONE TO HAVE A MEAL WITH, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

I would like to have a meal with myself as I have spent so many years entertaining people over food for work and have not had the time to appreciate food.

Edible Bird Nest & hashima: What's the difference?

Edible Bird Nest and hashima are two Chinese delicacies that can be found on menus at high-end Chinese restaurants in Singapore.

While it is commonly known that Edible Bird Nest is made from the saliva secretion of swiftlets, one might be surprised to discover that hashima is actually the fallopian tubes of snow frogs.
Besides having similar textures taste-wise, both ingredients are believed to enhance one's complexion and nourish the lungs, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Edible Bird Nest & hashima: What's the difference?

Benefits

Edible Bird Nest can help to clear phlegm and aid digestion, in addition to its purported benefits for the skin and lungs.
Hashima is also believed to improve memory and strengthen the immune system.
According to TCM specialist Eu Yan Sang, both are safe for the young and old to consume, and are suitable for pregnant women.
Both hashima and Edible Bird Nest contain active compounds like amino acids, which help build new muscle protein, produce antibodies, and repair damaged tissue.
Fatty acids like Omega-3s are found in hashima, and these acids are essential for building healthy cells which keep our skin plump and healthy.
Glycoprotein present in Edible Bird Nest also strengthens our immune systems and heals and regenerates tissues in our body.

Appearance

According to Eu Yan Sang, high-quality hashima has an irregular oval shape, with a white-yellowish surface and semi-transparent appearance. High-quality Edible Bird Nest are usually presented whole, with each 'nest' curved in the shape of a spoon.

Taste & preparation

Both Edible Bird Nest and hashima are sold dried and have to be rehydrated in water before they can be cooked and consumed.
Preparing Edible Bird Nest can be a particularly time-consuming process, requiring up to 10 hours of soaking and cleaning. Impurities have to be removed with tweezers when they have softened in water.
While they don't possess much flavour on their own, both delicacies are usually served in the form of 'tong shui' or Cantonese boiled desserts that are sweetened with rock sugar.
High-quality hashima should be smooth when cooked, and without any bitter after-taste. Consumption As hashima may contain hormones from frogs, Eu Yan Sang advises customers not to consume it together with drugs or other herbal medicines, so as to prevent any possible effects from herb-drug interactions. For Edible Bird Nest, the TCM specialist and retailer advises that it is best consumed on an empty stomach or at least three hours after dinner, for maximum nutrient-absorption. Price
A 50g portion of raw high-grade Edible Bird Nest can easily cost upwards of $200, while raw hashima typically costs less than half the price for the same portion.
That is why hashima is sometimes referred to as "a cheaper Edible Bird Nest".
The hefty price tag of Edible Bird Nest is thought to be partly due to its rarity and the dangerous and time-consuming harvesting process.
Besides the raw form, there are bottled versions of Edible Bird Nest and hashima too, so one can just grab a bottle on the go, instead of toiling over its preparation.

About Edible Bird Nest - The Benefits of Edible Bird Nests

It has been proven by a German chemist, Emilfischer, more than a century ago that growth factors of the epidermis is made up of polypeptide chains consisting of amino acids from proteins. Glycine is formed when one water molecule is removed and the growth bond is known as a peptide bond. If this reaction continues, polypeptides containing various types of amino acids are formed. Many of the polypeptides with smaller molecules in animals, plants and bacteria possess important biological functions. Polypeptide hormones are some of the more important products.

Edible Bird Nests contain a very important polypeptide hormone

It has been discovered that Edible Bird Nests contain a very important polypeptide hormone – the Epidermal Growth Factor or EGF). This substance is found in most of the body fluids within the human body, and its content is the highest in milk and sperm. They are synthesized chiefly by the submaxillary gland and the duodenum and they possess various essential biological functions such as inhibiting the secretion of gastric juices and protecting the duodenum.

Genes of beauty

EGF also has another very important function and it has been nicknamed “genes of beauty” as a result thereof. It is able to stimulate the fission and propagation of various cells, promote cell division, repair skin damage speedily and bring about the healing of wounds caused by surgery and injuries. It affects the fineness and ageing of human skin and it motivates ageing skin, rejuvenating it and bringing back its luster and elasticity.

Take care of skin and keep youthful

The above discovery not only brought good news to women of the world. In fact, for the past years, famous movie stars from Hong Kong and Taiwan , especially females, have made Edible Bird Nest their favourite. Edible Bird Nest has helped them to take care of their skin and kept them youthful even under the stress of making movies or attending concerts. All these secrets have been made public through the media.
It can now be seen that Edible Bird Nest possesses miraculous effects in beautifying skin. There are not only practical experiences proving this but also scientific proof. Mitochysis experts have even extracted a substance capable of improving immunity by promoting the fission of T cells and B cells from Edible Bird Nest.

Supply human health

Lymphatic cells are important to immune cells in the human body and they include T lymphatic cells and B lymphatic cells. The mitochysis substance contained in Edible Bird Nest stimulates lymphatic cells to improve immunity in the human body. It is also one of the basic substances contained in Edible Bird Nest for supplementing human health.

About Edible Bird Nest - Edible Bird Nest's History

The first person to taste Edible Bird Nest

PictureIt has been said in the “Bai Shi Tong” that there was a person in Java , Indonesia by the name of Sato Nurod who saw swiftlets flying to limestone caves on mountains near the sea. His curiosity got the better of him and he decided to venture into the limestone caves. There were many beautiful Edible Bird Nests inside and he removed a few and took them home. At first, he thought it was jus fun but he decided to test for its taste. He cooked a few pieces of the Edible Bird Nest and found them to be tasty. News spread and the local people went to collect Edible Bird Nest from the limestone caves. After long periods of consumption, everyone felt healthy and energetic and that was when they realized Edible Bird Nest is a treasure. From then on, the tradition of Edible Bird Nest as a nutritional product was popularized. This may be just a legend and since it was ages ago, there was no way to prove its authenticity. The earliest tax on Edible Bird Nest was recorded during the Ming Dynasty in 1589 where “superior grade Edible Bird Nest was taxed 1 tael of silver for every 100 katis, medium grade at 0.7 tael of silver and low grade at 0.2 tael of silver.” It can thus be seen that trading in Edible Bird Nest was very mature at that time.

About Edible Bird Nest - Edible Bird Nest's History

Historical records showed that when Admiral Zheng He sailed south (1405-1433 AD), at a time when barter trade was carried out between Chinese fleets and South East Asian countries, ceramics from the Tang Dynasty were traded for Edible Bird Nest from the people of Borneo (consisting of Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia). These were brought as tributes to the emperor and since then, Edible Bird Nest was regarded as a precious nutritional supplement.
Zheng He visited the coastal regions of Malaysia , Indonesia and Thailand which are chief production places of Edible Bird Nest. It has been recorded that some 125,000 pounds of Edible Bird Nest consisting of some 4 million pieces were exported from Batavia , Java (now known as Jakarta ) to China after the 17 th century. This coincided with the seven voyages down south of Zheng He.
The following is a legend on how Zheng He discovered Edible Bird Nest: There was once Zheng He's fleet was caught in a thunderstorm on one of his trips down south. He floated to a deserted island in the Malay Archipelago . When there was a shortage of food, some of the sailors accidentally discovered there were swiftlet nests on the cliffs. Zheng He ordered his subordinates to take the Edible Bird Nests, cleanse them and stew as food. Several days later, everyone of his crew looked healthy and was full of energy. Upon returning home, Zheng He presented the Edible Bird Nest to the Emperor. From then on, Edible Bird Nest became an item used as tribute to the Emperor and court officials. The practice of using Edible Bird Nest for beauty purposes also became popular in the royal courts.

The earliest Chinese to discover Edible Bird Nest:

The “Sarawak Records”: When Ye Zhen Hua and Wang San Shu of Kuching reached Miri in Sarawak , they discovered a swiftlet cave. At that time, whoever discovers any swiftlet cave can have it as his personal property.

The earliest medical records on Edible Bird Nest:

“Ben Jing Feng Yuan”: Written by Zhang Lu Cheng in 1659. It has been recorded that “Edible Bird Nest is sweet and mild. It promotes the constructive combination between metal and water, the lungs nourishes the kidneys, while it also calms down the stomach, making it an excellent food.”

The earliest record on Edible Bird Nest in medical books:

“Medical Dictionary of China” was published by Xie Guan in 1921. It has been recorded that Edible Bird Nest is used for revitalizing qi, balancing qi, nourishing the lungs, improving appetite, dissolving phlegm, stopping cough, increasing sperm, nourishing bone marrow and as an aphrodisiac.”

The earliest poetry on Edible Bird Nest:

“Wu Mei Cun Poetry Collection”: End of the Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. Wu Wei Ye (1609-1671) wrote: The sea swiftlets are homeless, they fight for tiny white fishes. They provide food for humans, but they can never settle down. The taste is delicious but their nests are soon empty. Officials look for things afar and they present their books early.”

The classic literature which described Edible Bird Nest most:

“Dream of the Red Chamber”: In the diet of Da Guan Yuan in the Dream of the Red Chamber, the word “Edible Bird Nest” appeared 17 times. There is a passage which sounded, “Dai Yu is weak and replenishment of superior nutrients is not recommended. The most suitable nutritional replenishment recommended was Edible Bird Nest. For Qin Ke Qing who suffers from both weakness of the blood and qi and Jia Bao Yu who is mentally down and weak, Edible Bird Nest is the perfect medicine for them. In Chapter 45 of the Dream of the Red Chamber, Bao Chai said, “I saw your prescription yesterday and found that there is too much of Ginseng and Cinnamon. Although these herbs replenish both qi and mental energy, they are too heaty. I would suggest that the liver be calmed down and nourishment be given to the stomach first. When the heat in the liver is gone, the gas in the stomach will also disappear. Health can be maintained by just taking in food. Take one tael of Edible Bird Nest upon waking up each morning, added with half a tael of rock sugar and boiled into porridge. Taking it on a regular basis, it possesses strong effects and is best for replenishing qi.” This clearly showed that Edible Bird Nest has been utilized in Chinese food since a long time ago. It also showed that Edible Bird Nest possess the ability to calm down the liver and nourish the stomach while replenishing qi.

The earliest magazine with knowledge of Edible Bird Nest:

The “Oriental Magazine”: Page 15 of the 8 th edition published in 1918 (Talk on Edible Bird Nest)

Words from the earliest Edible Bird Nest trader:

“Dong Xi Yang Kao Monthly”: 1833

The largest import location of Edible Bird Nest in the world:

TRAFFIC Report: Hong Kong . 1986 – 145.5 tonnes, 1988 – 148.4 tonnes, 1989 – 138.4 tonnes, 1990 – 137.6 tonnes, 1991 – 124.1 tonnes.

The longest living man who took Edible Bird Nest:

“San Lian Sheng Huo Zhou Kan ”: Madam Song Mei Ling, aged 106 years. “She took a small bowl of Edible Bird Nest with rock sugar everyday.”

The youngest person consuming Edible Bird Nest:

“Lian He Zao Bao”: Babies above 4 months may take Edible Bird Nest. “Many pregnant women in Singapore take it, and many fetus have been “enjoying” the nutrition from Edible Bird Nest for many months in their mother's womb.”

The group which are most familiar with taking Edible Bird Nest as a supplement:

Hong Kong movie stars and singers performing take Edible Bird Nest as their only food before concerts.

The largest flock of Collocalia ciphaga swiftlets:

Britannica encyclopedia: 1 million swiftlets.

The earliest swift house:

National Geographic of China : Built in 1880 in the final year of the 54 th East India Resident, J. W. van Lansberge, coinciding with the 10 th year of Xian Feng during the Qing Dynasty.

Premium Edible Bird Nest could fetch $21,660 per kg

PETALING JAYA - Retail prices for premium-grade Edible Bird Nests could go as high as 100,000 yuan (RM66,625 or S$21,660) per kg in China.

The item is listed on a price guide on Edible Bird Nests by Beijing Tong­rentang, a 300-year-old pharmaceutical company in China.

Premium Edible Bird Nests fetch around 40,000 yuan (RM26,648) to 100,000 yuan for every kg while the standard variety costs between 20,000 yuan (RM13,318) and 40,000 yuan.

The Federation of Malaysia Edible Bird Nest Industry Merchant Asso­ciations president Datuk Lee Kong Heng confirmed that processed Edible Bird Nests in Guangzhou, inclusive of tax, fetched between 17,000 yuan (RM11,306) and 23,000 yuan (RM15,297).

"These are for those with proper export documentation," he said.

Currently, only processed Edible Bird Nests can be exported to China via 16 companies approved by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China.

Raw unprocessed Edible Bird Nests are not allowed into China, in line with a ban imposed in 2011, and are sold to local processing establishments for between RM2,500 and RM3,000 at present.

However, sources reveal that China's black market for raw nests could fetch a higher price.

The Prime Minister's Special Envoy to China Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting said both the Malaysian and the Chinese governments were keen to see the ban lifted.

"Both sides are working at the final stage of approval for the export of raw unprocessed Edible Bird Nests to China," he said, without giving a date.

Ong, who was involved in the mediation, said he expected the price of unprocessed nests to rise further once the agreement was ironed out.

He believed that the Chinese nationals' purchasing power held much promise for the industry.

Ong pointed out that the ban was a lesson to be learnt, urging industry players to adhere to a higher level of professionalism.

Stricter rules on Edible Bird Nest in Malaysia

Some 60,000 swiftlet ranchers are expected to be affected by the stricter safety regulations imposed by Malaysia's Veterinary Services Department on the export of raw, unclean Edible Bird Nest.

Coalition of Swiftlet Edible Bird Nest Ranches Malaysia chairman Allan Ho said the local Code of Veterinary Practice was looking to adopt different microbiological and chemical parameters as part of the standards for clean and raw unclean Edible Bird Nest.

"Chinese authorities pointed out that both clean and raw unclean Edible Bird Nests are lumped under one single specification although these are distinctively different.

"This means that raw unclean Edible Bird Nest comprising 95 per cent of the country's production to China will see little likelihood of export in the near future," he said in a statement here yesterday.

Stricter rules on Edible Bird Nest in Malaysia

The strict regulations, said Ho, would further burden the ranchers who had patiently waited for over three years to get clearance from China.

China had banned the imports following the discovery of high levels of nitrite in clean Malaysian Edible Bird Nest in July 2011.

The ban had hit the country's swiftlet industry hard as China was reported to be the biggest importer of Edible Bird Nest products with an annual trading value of about RM1bil.

However, it was reported that China had since lifted its freeze, with approval granted to nine Malaysian companies.

Agriculture and Agro-based Indus-try Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said that the General Administration of Quality Supervis­ion, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (Aqsiq) deemed the nine companies to have earned a "conditional pass" on the quality of their products.

Ho said since the incident of "fake" Edible Bird Nest erupted in China in 2009, ranchers had been subjected to a seemingly endless wait on the green light to export.

"Any unnecessary further delay on the export of raw unclean Edible Bird Nest will seriously aggravate the financial position of ranchers in the country," he said.

The final draft of the safety code for raw unclean Edible Bird Nest, said Ho, had been completed and was currently being displayed for public review for the second time until Oct 19.

About Edible Bird Nest - Nutritional Value

Edible Bird Nest has been regarded as the most precious natural nourishment and health product and it has been considered as a precious item by aristocrats of the royal household in the Tang Dynasty in China . It was not until the Ming Dynasty that it became a treasure used as tributes by minor South East Asian countries, thus its name “Gong Yan (Tribute Edible Bird Nest) or “Guan Yan (Official Edible Bird Nest). Today, the production rate of Edible Bird Nest has become more stable and it has become a common commodity with nutritional values recommended by both Chinese physicians and Western doctors.

Chinese medicine:

From the Chinese medicine point of view, Edible Bird Nest principally fortifies the lungs, stomach and kidneys. In addition, its mild and sweet taste which is not heaty or cold, benefits the fortification of qi, nourishes the lungs, beautifies skin, tranquillizes and promotes sleep, nourishes the spleen, upgrades appetite, dissolves phlegm and stops coughs.
It has been recorded in the “Ben Cao Gang Mu” that Edible Bird Nest is an excellent medicine for nourishing the lungs, dissolving phlegm, stopping cough, replenishing nourishment, clearing the body and regulating physical weakness”. “Its ability to penetrate the lungs promotes the movement of qi and penetration of the kidneys promotes movement of water, while tranquillizing the stomach making it the most ideal food. The consumption of Edible Bird Nest stewed with rock sugar is effective in the regulation of physical weakness, cough and phlegm containing strands of blood. However, this is only suitable for those in the initial stage of such problems. If body heat is in excess and the flow of blood has reversed, this method may not be useful anymore.”

Western medicine:

From the nutritional point of view based on Western medicine, Edible Bird Nest is rich in proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates, phosphorous, iron, calcium and potassium which are able to strengthen resistance of the human body. Proteins effectively promote the growth, renewal and repair of cells while helping muscles to contract, aid in the transportation of nutrients and also oxidation. Proteins are made of more than 20 types of amino acids in which 18 of them are found in Edible Bird Nest. Out of these, 7 are essential amino acids. As Edible Bird Nest contain many different types of essential amino acids, and are rich in them, it has been nicknamed an excellent perfect protein.

Proteins found in Edible Bird Nest consist of Glycoprotein and Epidermal Growth Factors.

Epidermal Growth Factors stimulates the growth of skin and they are able to stimulate cell fission, promote regenerative power of body tissues, accelerate body metabolism, promote healing of wounds and also strengthen oxygen affinity in cells and resist ageing. This will fortify the immunity of the body and increase resistance of the body towards damage caused by X-rays and other radiation, making it the best health and beauty product for modern living.

Edible Bird Nesting: Advantages and Disadvantages of this Custody Option

Parents often ask me to describe what options they have for their post-divorce living arrangements. In addition to the many ways it is possible for children go back and forth between two residences, there is also the possibility of having children stay in the home they are currently living in while the parents move in and out. This is sometimes described as “the children get the house,” “Edible Bird Nesting,” or just “nesting.”

The Advantages

• Said to be child-centric: it focuses on the needs of the children.
• Children are able to continue to live in their home for a greater sense of stability.
• Minimizes the difficulty for children of living in two places, like forgetting homework, toys, clothing, or other belongings at the other parent’s home.
• Parents might be better able to handle the experience of moving back and forth between their residences than the children might be.

Edible Bird Nesting: Advantages and Disadvantages of this Custody Option

How It Works

The parents move in and out of the home according to the parenting plan they have established. This might include a situation where one parent spends the night with the children. The other parent comes to the house when the first parent goes to work and is at the home until the working parent comes home, often after dinner. The daytime parent then goes to their “other” residence. This arrangement could change depending on which parent is spending the night with the children.
Alternately, one parent can live in the home with the children for one week, then the other lives with them the following week. This is what as known as a week on/week off arrangement.
In a 2003 case in Ontario, Canada (Greenough v Greenough), the judge court-ordered parents to implement a Edible Bird Nesting arrangement—which they had not requested—until the hearings on the case could continue.

In the case record, Justice Quinn wrote:

“The court made a Edible Bird Nest custody arrangement in which the children (aged 3 and 5 years) remained in the home, with the mother staying in the home during the week and the father on the weekend. I think that the benefits of a Edible Bird Nest order are best achieved where the children are able to stay in the matrimonial home, particularly if it has been the only residence that they have known…
“Time and time again I have seen cases (and this is one) where the children are being treated as Frisbees. In general, parents do not seem to appreciate the gross disruption to which children are subjected where one of the parents has frequent access. In this regard, I do not believe there must be evidence that the children are suffering before the court is free to act. To me, it is a matter of common sense. At the risk of falling prey to simplistic generalities, I am of the view that, given a choice, I do not see why anyone would select a living arrangement which involved so much movement from house to house.”
Justice Quinn clearly saw the advantages to the children of living in the home they were most familiar with and of having little change in their day-to-day lives, and saw the role of the court as instrumental in advancing this option on behalf of the children.

The Disadvantages

• It is expensive. Unless the parents are able to share the residence in which the children do not live, they are looking at having three residences, one for the children and one for each parent when they are not living with the children.
• It requires a large degree of civility between the parents and the ability to get along and make decisions together. In general, the absence of conflict is the best indicator of resiliency for children, both in a marriage and post-divorce. A Edible Bird Nesting situation, especially, cannot work if there is conflict. Co-parents who choose this model might consider working with a mediator or other professional who can assist in discussing the fine-tuning necessary to make the arrangement workable.
• It does not take into consideration what would happen when one or both parents enter a new relationship. Even before this aspect of “moving on” occurs post-divorce, both parents often need to individuate from each other and establish separate lives in order to disentangle from the marriage relationship they had with each other. Edible Bird Nesting does not adequately foster this aspect of divorcing.
• House rules: in order for parents’ movements to occur in a non-disruptive manner, both parents would need to have similar rules and house cleaning sensibilities. “House rules” need to be established to avoid creating a situation where children need to remember which rules are in place on which days, or at which times, depending on which parent is “on.”
These lists are not exhaustive. Clearly, Edible Bird Nesting is not for everyone. The question remains whether it is for even doable for a small percentage of divorcing families. We do know that when parents live in close proximity to each other, when the children have easy access between homes, and are not subject to ongoing conflict, children of divorced families are quite resilient and do as well as children from families where there is no divorce. This might be a solution that is just shy of Edible Bird Nesting: good neighbors.

New standards for safe nitrate levels in Edible Bird Nest

The Department of Standards Malaysia is developing Edible Bird Nests production standards and test methods to determine the safe levels of nitrate content for consumption and to meet stringent export requirements for China's market.

Director-general Datuk Fadilah Baharin said a comprehensive study was being conducted by the department along with the Health Ministry.

The new standards are expected to be introduced by the end of next year, she added.

She said high nitrate content could pose serious health risks such as cancer and China had banned the import of unprocessed swiftlet nests from Malaysia before for allegedly having high nitrate content.

However, the export of Edible Bird Nests in processed forms or ready-to-eat jelly or drinks (in bottles) was not affected, she said in an interview.

Currently, only 50 per cent of swiftlet farming companies were able to export Edible Bird Nests to China, she said.

She added that "with the introduction of the standards, we expect that up to 90 per cent of the companies could export their products."

Fadilah said the standard swiftlet farming initiated by Standards Malaysia since 2010 were the first of its kind in the world.

The development of standards of raw Edible Bird Nests for authentication, quality, grading, packaging and labelling started three years ago, she said.

She said besides China, the Malaysian swiftlet nest industry also targeted new markets including Hong Kong, Japan and Italy to capitalise on rising demand.

CNY cheer for Edible Bird Nest exporters

There is good news for Edible Bird Nest exporters as China officially lifts its ban on the import of the product from Malaysia.

Although only eight companies were given the approval to export Edible Bird Nest, local industry players have described the decision as the best Chinese New Year gift.

Describing the move as timely in view of the upcoming celebrations, Federation of Malaysia Edible Bird Nest Merchant Association president Datuk Tok Teng Sai said that for local players, the lifting of the ban would end the long uncertainty on the fate of the industry.

CNY cheer for Edible Bird Nest exporters

Tok also urged local players to treasure the approval by being honest.

"The fact that China only allows Edible Bird Nest from Malaysia into their country should not be taken for granted. They trust us and with that comes the responsibility to protect Malaysia's name," he said.

Earlier yesterday, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Malaysia was the only country given the approval to export Edible Bird Nest to China.

The approval letter from China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) was received on Dec 25.

He said the eight companies were from nine which were granted a "conditional pass" to export the delicacy to the republic in June last year.

"It is not easy to pass China's stringent requirements. Since March last year, 15 companies had applied for the approval and nine were given the conditional pass.

"After further auditing by the authorities in China, only eight companies fulfilled the requirements," he told a press conference here yesterday.

Ismail Sabri said the approval was for Raw-clean Edible Bird Nest and the first consignment was expected to leave for China soon.

He said a ceremony to be attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would be held to mark the special occasion.

The Best Types of Edible Bird Nests on the Market

If you’re new to the world of Edible Bird Nests, then you’re probably a little overwhelmed by the choices you have.

There are dozens of websites selling Edible Bird Nests, and all of them seem to have varying ratings for their nests. What is a AAAA nest on one site could be a AAA nest on another site.

While there’s no uniformity in the way Edible Bird Nests are graded, there are basic principles to know which types of Edible Bird Nests are the best

Best Color for Edible Bird Nests

When you’re shopping for Edible Bird Nests based on color, the best edible nest you can buy is red Edible Bird Nests. These nests make up a very small segment of the market; their rarity lends not only to them being sought-after but costing more than all other colors.
The color of the nest was, for many centuries, attributed to a bird’s blood mixed with saliva – this is why they’re also known as blood nests. However, science has revealed the nests get their color as minerals absorbed into the nest mix with air and water.
Reputable sites will sell legitimate red nests, but there are fakes sold by companies who color white nests with sodium nitrate. These nests can be dangerous to your health. You know you have fake blood nests if the color noticeably bleeds while soaking them.

Best Origin for Edible Bird Nests

Edible Bird Nest come from one of two places: in the wild or from farms.
Some will argue that nests from the wild are the best. These nests are harvested from caves or cliffs and, according to some, have a unique flavor profile seasoned by sea air and rock mineral.
This isn’t always the case, as some limestone caves that house swallow nests that don’t get much contact with sea air.
On the other hand, farm-grown Edible Bird Nests are harvested in urban areas, but this doesn’t affect their flavor as much as you would think. The taste nuances of Edible Bird Nests tends to come from the swallow’s saliva.
A great example of this is are red Edible Bird Nests – though some of them get their red color from rock minerals, they don’t have much of a different taste from red nests harvested from farms.

Best Website for Edible Bird Nests

Golden Nest has an excellent customer rating and is, according to those who’ve purchased nests from us, the brand they’d choose over every other American brand.
In fact, 98% of our customers would recommend our Edible Bird Nests to friends and family.

Best Grade of Edible Bird Nests

How a Edible Bird Nest is graded has a big influence on its price – our AAA nests demand high prices because they are of the highest quality.
Most sites will give their best nests a AAA rating and some will do AAAA. Whenever you’re browsing a website for Edible Bird Nests, examine their highest-grade nests very closely.
Is the cup shape a perfect half-moon? Do the fibers seem unorganized or are they flat and uniform? These are indications that the nests are, in fact, high quality and deserve their rating.
As a rule of thumb, the more A’s a nest gets, the better the quality.

Best Overall Edible Bird Nest on the Market

The best Edible Bird Nests combine vibrant colors, excellent quality and are sold by reputable websites. These nests will command the highest prices – often more than $700 for a family-size box – but are worth every penny.
The best Edible Bird Nests on the market will never disappoint. Their numerous health benefits and beautiful texture are just two reasons why Edible Bird Nests are known as the “Caviar of the East”.

How to select Edible Bird Nest

A gift of Edible Bird Nest is commonly perceived as a gift of good health. But how much do you really know about this Chinese delicacy?

To start off, Edible Bird Nest is produced by three species of swiftlets - white-nest, black-nest and grass-nest.
These birds use a glutinous saliva secretion to construct their nests, which are prized by the Chinese, who believe they can boost one's complexion and immune system.
Herbalist Ang Lai Chye, a retail supervisor at Eu Yan Sang's Paragon outlet, said between 85 per cent and 97 per cent of the nest built by the white-nest swiflet contains salivary glutinous strands, so it is considered the "cleanest" nest among the three species.
The black-nest swiftlet, on the other hand, mixes feathers and plant materials with its salivary secretion to build its nests.
Grass-nest swiftlets, as the name implies, build their nests with grass and salivary secretion. For these two species of swiftlets, only 5 per cent to 15 per cent of their nests contain salivary strands, though these nests are also eaten.
A swiftlet builds its nest to lay eggs and house its young till they are ready to take flight.
Licensed harvesters must ensure that nests are collected only after they have been abandoned by young swiftlets, said Mr Ang.
That is why harvesting time coincides with the swiftlets' breeding season and ends before nesting begins, he added.
Edible Bird Nest can be harvested once or twice a year. The first harvest may take place between November and March, when there is a surplus of rain and food. Industry players regard nests built during this period to be of the best quality, Mr Ang said.
The second harvest is carried out from late July to early September, with each harvest typically lasting about 10 days.
Edible Bird Nests can be found in caves on cliffs, or in purpose-built houses. While their nutritional content is similar, house nests are cleaner, with fewer impurities and feathers than nests built in caves. They also expand more quickly when soaked in water, and cook more quickly.
Cave nests have a lower swelling capacity because they are generally firmer and harder, owing to their harsh natural climate.
If the raw Edible Bird Nest disintegrates easily upon contact with water, it is a sign that the product may actually contain very little of real Edible Bird Nest.
It is also a myth that the red-coloured "blood Edible Bird Nest" is formed by swiftlets that vomit their blood to build their nests.
What happens, in fact, is that the Edible Bird Nest absorbs minerals from the cave walls, which then gives it the unique colour, Mr Ang explained.

How to select Edible Bird Nest

Buyer's knowledge poor

A recent poll of 300 people by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) retailer Eu Yan Sang found that 72 per cent consumed Edible Bird Nest.
But 66 per cent of respondents had no idea how the price or quality of Edible Bird Nest was determined.
The size and shape of Edible Bird Nest are actually the key factors in determining its price - not its nutritional value, explained Mr Ang.
In other words, you pay more for its appearance.
Those that are curved in the shape of a spoon are considered the most ideal ones.
As for whole Edible Bird Nest, it takes skill to keep the pieces intact during the cleaning process, so it tends to cost more too, he said.
The finer and more compact the Edible Bird Nest strands, the higher its price as well.

Beware of counterfeits

There are eight different grades of Edible Bird Nests, which determine their selling price.
Mr Ang said Eu Yan Sang sells only those from grade three onwards.
A tael (37.6g) of house nests at the retail outlet goes for $128 to $368, while the same amount of the less common cave nests cost between $198 and $788.
A 150g bottle of concentrated Edible Bird Nest is priced between $49.90 and $89.90.
When preparing and eating Edible Bird Nest at home, you can tell how authentic it is by observing its colour and smell.
When it is soaked in water, the strips of saliva should expand and turn transparent. But the water in which it is soaked should remain clear.
Edible Bird Nests which have an extremely white colour may have been bleached, warned Mr Ang.
The real nests will also have a fishy tinge because of the swiftlet's saliva.
After cooking, the aroma should be like that of egg white.
Meanwhile, counterfeits will reek of additives, Mr Ang said.
You can also tell the source of a Edible Bird Nest based on how it feels in the mouth.
Cave nests tend to be crunchy and chewy, while house nests are softer, smoother and more slippery.
When buying raw Edible Bird Nest, weigh its price against the size, shape and thickness of the nest and the firmness of the threads.
Its swelling capacity, taste and smell can be judged only during preparation and eating.
Bottled Edible Bird Nest is a convenient alternative to raw Edible Bird Nest.
To tell if it is of good quality, look closely at the contents of the bottle.
The Edible Bird Nest strands should be resting at the bottom as it is denser than water, said Mr Ang.
Make it a habit to check the expiry dates of Edible Bird Nest products too.
Raw Edible Bird Nest, which has a shelf life of two years, should be stored in a cool, dry and airtight container in the main refrigerator compartment. Bottled versions can last 21/2 years from its manufacturing date.
If you are not planning to finish a whole bottle of Edible Bird Nest at one go, pour the desired amount into a cup instead of drinking straight from the bottle, as your saliva can cause it to spoil faster.
Store the remainder in the refrigerator and finish it within one week.

Girl, 6, reaches puberty early because frequently drank Edible Bird Nest soup

Sin Chew Daily reported that a six-year-old girl from Zhejiang, China, was found to have matured sexually after her mother frequently fed her sweet Edible Bird Nest soup and other supplements.

The mother, known as Lee, discovered earlier this year that a small bulge had developed under her daughter's nipples.

She also discovered bloodstains when washing the girl's panties earlier this month, which prompted her to take her to a doctor.

An examination concluded that the girl had reached puberty early because of excessive nutrient intake.

Lee said she was health-conscious and would boil Edible Bird Nest soup, honey and other supplements with chicken wings for herself.She said she usually gave her daughter a small share because she enjoyed it and thought it would be good for her health.

Doctors pointed out that excessive nutrient intake could have affected the child's hormone system and accelerated the development of her secondary sexual characteristics.

Bird spit coffee from Malaysia?

Prized in China for is alleged health benefits for hundreds of years, nests made from swiftlets' saliva are being mixed into coffee and cereal as the Southeast Asian producers of the delicacy seek to broaden its appeal, and their profit margins.

The nests are among the world's most expensive foods, selling for up to US$2,500 (S$3,400) a kg and the swiftlets that weave them are indigenous to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

China consumes almost 90 per cent of all Edible Bird Nests, traditionally eaten in soup, creating an industry that last year recorded US$5 billion in sales and which executives expect to double by 2020.

Companies such as Malaysia's Swiftlet Eco Park, one of the country's largest developers of swiftlet houses, want bigger gains by expanding their product line and market beyond China, where importers can often dictate the price.

Bird spit coffee from Malaysia?

"Ask anybody in the industry where is your market and they'll say China and Hong Kong. Everybody is going there," said Group Managing Director Loke Yeu Loong. "We are looking at new markets, but if I sell raw Edible Bird Nest to Europe or India, they don't even know how to cook it."

Swiftlet Eco makes coffee, skin care, puddings and candies with Edible Bird Nest. Loke declined to give specific sales figures but said the profit margin on some of these products was 10 times more than the raw nests.

The company is also spending big on marketing Edible Bird Nest as a health food in the Middle East, Europe and the United States and plans to raise about $30 million through an initial public offering and New York listing in the third quarter of this year.

Southeast Asian swiftlets' nests are particularly popular in the Lunar New Year festivities, which began in China last week, and are believed to be rich in nutrients that can help digestion, raise libido and improve the immune system.

Malaysia is the world's largest producer of raw nests after Indonesia.

Lee Kong Heng, president of the Malaysian Federation of Edible Bird Nest Traders Association, says marketing Edible Bird Nest as a supplement would attract younger, wealthier and more health-conscious consumers worldwide.

Vietnam's largest birds' nest producer Yen Viet Joint Stock Co. is also keen to play up the benefits of the delicacy. The company makes cereals and porridge and is investing into scientific research in a bid to increase global sales, said Chief Executive Dang Pham Minh Loan.

Malaysian Edible Bird Nest producers are well placed to market to the majority Muslim Middle East because the nests are halal, or a food permissible under Islam, Swiftlet Eco Park's Loke said.

With more research, he hopes Edible Bird Nest will become a global phenomenon. "We can conduct research and prove the benefit of consuming Edible Bird Nest scientifically," he said.

About Edible Bird Nest Soup

Edible Bird Nest soup is a soup made from the nest of a kind of cave'dwelling swift. It is regarded as a delicacy, health booster, life prolonger and aphrodisiac in Asia, particularly in China and Hong Kong, and is said rejuvenate skin, clear up complexions, clean out the digestive track, and cure lung cancer. 

Edible Bird Nest Soup

The translucent, gelatinous material used to make the Edible Bird Nest gives the soup richness and texture and was compared by an 18th century adventurer with the foam of wave crests. Chinese have made the nest material into a jelly mixed with spices or sweets as well as soup. The taste? One producer said, it was “sort of like a piece of paper." The nest material has little flavor and generally is cooked with something else to be give it flavor.

Edible Bird Nest soup was invented around 1750 by a Siam-based Chinese man named Hao Yieng who discovered the "wind-eating" swiflets and learned that their nests were soluble in water. In 1770, the King of Siam, granted Hao Yieng a monopoly on the Edible Bird Nest trade. He promptly became rich. Later the Siamese took back control of the nests and a "corps of hereditary collectors" was established.
A kilogram of top quality Edible Bird Nests can go for $3,000 to $4,000, half the price of gold, and is the product of about 120 nests. A tureen of soup for four people of "Nest of Sea Swallows with Venomous Snake and Chrysanthemum Petals with Lemon grass Lotus Seeds in Soup"---with several drops of venom squeezed from the glands of a snake that pulled out a bag---can go for $100 or more in Hong Kong and is made from six nests.

Edible Bird Nest Swiftlets

The nests used for the soup are made by three bird species: 1) the edible-nest or white-nest swiftlet; 2) Germain's swiftlet; and 3) the black-nest swiftlet. These birds live primarily in large limestone caves on islands or near the sea in Southeast Asia. Sometimes called "sea swallows," the small swifts feed on flying insects and navigate through caves like bats using echolocation.
Both males and females participate in nest building. The sticky gelatinous noodle-like fibers used to make the nests are secreted by well-developed salivary glands in their mouth The glands enlarge during the breeding season. When the fibers harden they produce a glue that hold the nest together and keeps it attached to the cave. The incubation period for the eggs is 19 to 23 days. Young remain in the nest for an additional six to eight weeks.
The best nest come from swiftlets that live deep inside caves. These birds echoloccate with a series of high pitched clicks and rattles that increase in frequency from five a second in open spaces to twenty a second near walls. Distance is determined by amount of time it takes the sounds to bounce off the wall and return to the ear. Direction is determined by the minute difference between the time sound reaches each ear. The system is effective but crude compared to echolocation system of bats.

About Swiftlet Nests

The nests are about the size and hardness of teacups; are essentially made from hardened saliva mixed with feathers, grass and twigs; and look like congealed strands of vermicelli. The noodle-like fibers are used to bond nesting materials together and attach the nest to a vertical walls of caves or cliffs or hollow tree nesting sites.

There are two kinds of nests:

White nests made up mostly of saliva and black nests with plant materials and feathers mixed in. White nests are the most valuable. They are generally made by swiftlets that nest deep inside the caves and are ideally collected before a female lays her eggs. Generally the whiter and purer a nest is the more tasty and valuable it is. Black nests are also collected. These nests can not be eaten until they have been properly cleaned.
The edible-nest swiftlet often build their nest in the most inaccessible of places: on the roofs and upper walls of high caves and even overhangs. Other species build nests the in buildings and bridges and chimneys but not the edible-nest swiftlet. Sometimes the eggs and young of edible-nest swiftlets are placed in the nest of an other species, the uniform swiftlet, which lives in buildings. There are some claims that a third of nest form Indonesia are taken from swiftlets that have made their nests in buildings.

About Swiftlet Nests

Making Swiftlet Nests

To make a nest a swiftlet moves its head back and forth like a weaving bobbin. David Attenborough wrote: “The bird starts by flying persistently in front of its chosen site and repeatedly dabbing the rock with its tongue, laying down a curved line of saliva which marks the lower edge of the nest-to-be. The saliva dries and hardens quickly and with repeated flights, the bird slowly builds up the low line into a low wall. As soon as this is big enough to cling to, the speed of construction accelerates and within a few days the wall has become a semicircular cup of creamy white interlacing string that is just big enough to hold the customary clutch of two eggs."
The swiftlet are so small they don't have the strength to pick up nesting materials such as twigs and leaves from the ground like other birds. Instead they pick up pieces of feather, fragments of dried grass and other small things they find floating in the air and affix the to a surface their "sticky spittle." Nests near the entrance to the caves have large amounts of feathers. Those that are deeper inside are made primarily of spittle, and are thus more desirable. .
The swifts can take up two months to build a nest. Ideally the nest is collected after fledglings have take wing rather than before eggs of hatched. That way there are more birds o create nests. After the nests are harvested they are soaked in water ti soften them up and a magnifying glass is used to pick out loose impurities like twigs and feathers. After being steamed or boiled the nest separate into long chewy strands. About half the material in protein. What health benefits might be found in the nests are believed to be lost during the cleaning process.

Edible Bird Nest – Seaweed

Seaweed or Edible Bird Nest collagen content is 10 times higher than Edible Bird Nest and it's calcium is 37 higher than fish liver. Collagen makes up about 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content.

Seaweed Nutrition Data

- Seaweed could be found in vegetables while the remaining 64 minerals “only” exist in seaweeds. This includes Omega-3 and 6, which is crucial for mental development/function for growing children. Seaweed can maintain Acid/Base homeostasis in circulation and lymphatic system. It also prevent Cardiovascular, Bony and mental ailments, for example memory loss and depression. It further helps to reduce blood sugar level and control High Blood Pressure. Fucoidan and retinol in seaweed has anti-cancer and anti-viral properties. While Fucosterol reduces cholesterol by loss of bile acid, thereby prevent arteriosclerosis. Seaweed contains essentials nutrients and can act as nutritional supplements for vegetarians and also helps to alleviate post menopausal symptoms. Seaweed also contains multivitamins which is essential for all. Seaweed increasingly used as a health supplement in an attempt to prevent both chronic and lifestyle diseases including obesity related disorder. Until today, Seaweed is the only natural and complete food for human needs. The seaweed consumption benefits us in 2 categories : Health & Beauty.

1. Beauty Benefits

a. Correct fine lines, wrinkles, age spots and even your skin tone
b. Anti-aging and have younger-looking skin
c. Brighten and smoothen your skin
d. Smooth the cracked and dry heels
e. No more pimples
f. Say good bye to eye bag/ dark circle eyes
g. Firm up your saggy breasts
h. And more…

2. Health Benefits

a. Cancer Protection :
Lignans have been shown to inhibit angiogenesis, or blood cell growth, the process through which fast-growing tumors not only gain extra nourishment, but send cancer cells out in the bloodstream to establish secondary tumors or metastases in other areas of the body.
In addition, lignans have been credited with inhibiting estrogen synthesis in fat cells as effectively as some of the drugs used in cancer chemotherapy. In postmenopausal women, fat tissue is a primary site where estrogen is synthesized, and high levels of certain estrogen metabolites are considered a significant risk factor for breast cancer. In addition to lignans, seaweed is a very good source of the B-vitamin folic acid. Studies have shown that diets high in folate-rich foods are associated with a significantly reduced risk for colon cancer.
b. Healthy Thyroid Function :
The health benefits of sea vegetables are not limited to cancer protection. Seaweed is also nature's richest sources of iodine, which as a component of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), - both of which are essential to human life. The thyroid gland adds iodine to the amino acid tyrosine to create these hormones. Without sufficient iodine, your body cannot synthesize them. Because these thyroid hormones regulate metabolism in every cell of the body and play a role in virtually all physiological functions, an iodine deficiency can have a devastating impact on your health and well-being. A common sign of thyroid deficiency is an enlarged thyroid gland, commonly called a goiter. Goiters are estimated to affect 200 million people worldwide, and in all but 4% of these cases, the cause is iodine deficiency.
c. Nutrient Prevention of Birth Defects :
Additionally, the folic acid so abundant in sea vegetables plays a number of other very important protective roles. Studies have demonstrated that adequate levels of folic acid in the diet are needed to prevent certain birth defects, including spina bifida. Folic acid is also needed to break down an intermediate dangerous chemical called homocysteine. The chemical Homocysteine can directly damage blood vessel walls, and high levels of this chemical are associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
d. Cardiovascular Disease :
Sea vegetables pack a double punch against heart disease. In addition to their folic acid, sea vegetables are also a very good source of magnesium, which has been shown to reduce high blood pressure and prevent heart attack.
e. Seaweed for Stress Relief :
Seaweed also has been proven to provide support through stressful situations by supplying not only magnesium, but pantothenic acid and riboflavin--two B-vitamins necessary for energy production. Pantothenic acid is especially important for the health of the adrenal glands. The adrenals control many body functions and play a critical role in resistance to stress. When supplies of necessary nutrients like pantothenic acids are inadequate, stressful times can exhaust the adrenal glands resulting in chronic fatigue, reduced resistance to allergies and infection, and a feeling of being overwhelmed or overly anxious.
f. Others :
Such as obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, psoriasis, migraine, high blood pressure, diabetic and other degenerative diseases

How to use this seaweed ?

It can be used as face mask and consume as dessert, pudding, salad, soup or adding into your favorite juice. Upon your purchase we will provide you the usage instructions.

How much seaweed should you be eating?

Consume 5 to 15 grams (1/6th to 1/2 ounces ). Another words, 3 spoonful before meal in the morning and before sleep.

Who is seaweed NOT good for?

Although packed with nutrition, seaweed can be problematic in those with weak digestive strength. How do you know your digestion is weak? Some clues are loose stools, and chronic fatigue. These people need to be careful with their seaweed intake since seaweed is energetically cold (and digestion is a warm process). Also, consult your doctor if you are on thyroid medications.
Seaweeds also lower plasma glucose levels, so if you’re new to seaweed in your diet and you take diabetic medications, you need to be careful that your blood sugar levels don’t drop too low. The flip side of this is that if your blood sugar levels are too high, one of the benefits of eating seaweed is that it can help lower it! Not suitable for pregnant and confinement female.