What is Edible Swallow / Bird Saliva Nest

How are Bird Saliva Nest’s Made?

These nests are made from swiftlets / swallow birds utilizing saliva that have been solidified and prepared so they’re edible. These Bird Saliva Nests are treasured in Chinese cuisine as they are rare, delicious and have high nutritional content. These Bird Saliva Nests have different grading / types, and this is determined by the size and the cleanliness of the Bird Saliva Nest.
Colors vary, with white being one of the most coveted as it is softer than the other colors and provides many health benefits including promoting smooth skin. While these nests are just becoming popular in the West, they have been part of Chinese culture and cuisine for over four centuries, often as Bird Saliva Nest.

What is Edible Swallow / Bird Saliva Nest

Bird Saliva Nest and Other Dishes

While these nests can be used in different ways, they are best known as Bird Saliva Nest. As the nest dissipates in water, they become gelatinous and then used as an ingredient in soup.
In Chinese cuisine it is called the sweet soup or savoury. There are many ways to prepare the dish, and as per the Suiyuan shidan, the gastronomy guide of the Qing Dynasty, the nest should not be prepared with anything oily or other powerful ingredients as it is delicate. The dish is also prepared in generous quantities in order to best appreciate its taste.
Aside from its exquisite taste, Bird Saliva Nests can also be turned into ingredients in other foods and dishes. This nest for instance, can be used for the preparation of Bird Saliva Nest boiled rice, Bird Saliva Nest congee and prepared with rice. These nests can also be used as ingredients for desserts such as Bird Saliva Nest jelly. Bird Saliva Nest jelly is made when the nest is placed in a ceramic jar with a bit of water and salt or sugar, after which it is steamed.

Harvesting of the Nests

Various types of Bird Saliva Nests can be harvested, with the most in demand being the Aerodramus maximus (black nest swiftlet) and the Aerodramus fuciphagus (white nest swiftlet). Both white and red nests are renowned throughout China and the rest of the world not just because of their taste but a lot of people say they have benefited health wise.
The majority of these nests are made when the breeding season arrives. These nests are created by the male swiftlet and have the appearance of a light cup embedded to a wall. These nests are made from various salivary cement strands, and it is this mixture that provides the nest with plenty of magnesium, potassium, iron and calcium.
Back in the days these nests were harvested directly in the caves, in particular the caves at Niah and those in Gomantong in Borneo. Because of the high demand for these nests beginning in the 1990s, special structures have been used in their stead. To make harvesting easier, these nests are situated close to the sea as that is where birds are most likely to be found.

Supply and Demand

The United States and Hong Kong are among the biggest consumers of Bird Saliva Nests, and Bird Saliva Nests are very much in demand and can fetch a high price. Bird Saliva Nests are weighed in kilograms, with red nests usually costing more than the white ones because they are rarer.
White colored nests are dyed red by many manufacturers, but experts have a way of determining if the nests are genuine red. Real red cave nests are hard to find, with most located in limestone caves in an island off Thailand. Premium Nest only supply the natural red Bird Saliva Nest which is harvested from the high-rise buildings / houses.
Due to the high demand for white Bird Saliva Nests, counterfeiters have tried to take advantage of the situation. To combat this threat, authorities in various countries have started using RFID technology, using microchips on the nests with details about transport, packaging, harvesting and so on.
The huge demand for Bird Saliva Nests has led to a thriving industry in particular the Indonesian province of North Sumatra. The many bird’s nets harvested and prepared there are exported to countries around the world including Hong Kong and the United States. However, the majority of consumers are still in China.
The best Bird Saliva Nests are handled and processed in special facilities to ensure consistency of quality, with effects analysis and failure mode among the techniques used to verify the authenticity of an Bird Saliva Nest.
There was a time when this delicacy was reserved for emperors and royalty, but now it is available for everyone. Demand for these nests is greater than ever, to the point that it makes up 0.5% of the GDP of Indonesia. Globally it is now a $5 billion industry.

Bird Saliva Nest

Bird Saliva Nest is one of Asian Pacific leading Bird Saliva Nest brand.  Awarded for being a leader in the industry and a pioneer for the Bird Saliva Nest industry since 1998 in Hong Kong. 

What Is Bird Saliva Nest?

Bird Saliva Nest is the saliva produced by a special species of swallow called the swiftlet while building the nest. The saliva glues with other impurities (such as feathers) to form the nest. Among the different species of switlets, golden switlet’s saliva has the purest protein content and the highest nutrient value.

About Bird Saliva Nest:

Bird Saliva Nests are mainly produced in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Burma and Hainan Province in Southern China. The texture and taste of Bird Saliva Nest vary with the swiftlet’s habitat. Compared with Cave Nest, House Nest is cleaner, softer and smoother in texture. So, the soaking/stewing time can be shortened. Cave Nest is mainly found in Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, whereas House Nest is mostly produced in Indonesia.
There are three harvesting periods of Bird Saliva Nest in a year -- the 'first phase’ (first harvesting period) Bird Saliva Nest is the most nutritious Bird Saliva Nest and contains much more proteins and minerals.
'First phase’ Bird Saliva Nest is harvested from November to January every year – springtime of Indonesia. In this season of abundance and thriving, the swiftlet grows up strong and healthy and is able to secrete plentiful saliva. Under such favourable environment, Bird Saliva Nest harvested during this period is purer and gets bigger expansion after soaking. The body of Bird Saliva Nest is obviously larger in size and thicker in texture.

The second and third phase Bird Saliva Nest is not as good comparing with the 'first phase’ Bird Saliva Nest in terms of quality and quantity. During these seasons, the swiftlet is weak due to unfavourable weather and lean food supply. Saliva secretion is slow and lots of feathers fall off, thus increase impurities. The Bird Saliva Nest is usually smaller in size and has lesser expandability.
IBNI has its own Bird Saliva Nest farmhouses and processing plants in Indonesia. Some time before every Chinese Lunar New Year, IBNI ships fresh ‘first phase’ Bird Saliva Nests to Hong Kong through air cargo. This guarantees sufficient supply of ‘first phase’ Bird Saliva Nests in the market all the year round.
Chinese have the culture of consuming Bird Saliva Nests traced back to Tang Dynasty, 1,400 years ago. It was told that Empress Wu Zetian used to rely on taking Bird Saliva Nest to resist ageing. Since then, Bird Saliva Nest had been frequently found on the upper class diet. During Ming Dynasty, it was officially included in the imperial menu. In those days, premium grade Bird Saliva Nest was among the articles of tribute presented by adjacent Southeast Asian countries to the emperor of China. It was commonly known as “Imperial Bird Saliva Nest”.