Buy Bird's Nest Soup: 2018

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Common Tricks and How to spot Fake Bird’s Nest Soup

Bird’s Nest Soup is becoming more popular, however, many places sell those low quality nests, damaging consumer's confident and health resulting in negative views of the Bird’s Nest Soup industry in general. In recent years, there has been increasing reports of fake Bird’s Nest Soups. This article aims to provide useful information to help customers identify the common types of fraud when buying nests.

1. Adding salt, sugar or other agents to increase weight

Through our survey, we found that the majority of Bird’s Nest Soup available for sale are glazed with either salt, sugar or other additives to increase weight, often up to 40%. Imagine you pay $100 for 100g of nests but in reality you only get 60% of real nest while the remaining 40% is sugar. That means you pay $40 for 40g sugar!!! Just when you thought you got a good deal, you are actually paying more for the same amount of authentic Bird’s Nest Soup. Not only that, the unknown additives used in the making of fake Bird’s Nest Soup could be carcinogens. Moreover, these unknown mixture of Bird’s Nest Soup are highly susceptible to pathogenic bacteria and molds that could seriously damage your health.

*** How to tell:

+ Pure authentic Bird’s Nest Soup: if you were to lick it, it would be tasteless, similar to licking a rice noddle. When you pick it up, it is light, brittle, and inflexible (even when exposed to air for a long time). It is prone to fracture even to light touches.
+ Bird’s Nest Soup glazed with salt, sugar or other additives:
- Break off a small piece and chew it, you will find it sweet (or salty). Sometime you can even taste the sweetness or saltiness by just licking the Bird’s Nest Soup, especially when large amount s of additives were used. Another way to detect fake Bird’s Nest Soup is to taste the water that was used to soak the Bird’s Nest Soup in. If the water become sweet or salty then the Bird’s Nest Soup were tampered with.
- The glazed Bird’s Nest Soup are usually more flexible because the additives make the strands soft and bendy. These fake nests are highly susceptible to pathogenic bacteria and molds. They will often darken with prolonged exposure to air. This change in color is indicative of the Bird’s Nest Soup was glazed with some type of sweetener. In addition, the fake nests become iridescent under shining lights.

2. Red Nests

There are usually 3 categories of fake red Bird’s Nest Soup:
- Normal food coloring -> easily detectable upon soaking in water as the dye will leak out of the Bird’s Nest Soup
- Industrial dyes -> hard to detect as the dyes won't leak when soaked in water
- Chemical reactions turning Bird’s Nest Soup from white to red. This is when Bird’s Nest Soups are put in the manure/compost pit, which contains NH3. Under the proper conditions, a chemical reaction will occur changing the Bird’s Nest Soup from white to red. Check out this YouTube video.
When done properly (UNCOMMON), even though the Bird’s Nest Soup changed from red to white, the quality remains unchanged meaning these red nests have no additional nutritional values unlike the authentic red Bird’s Nest Soup made naturally by the swiftlets in sea caves. However, the price difference is significant. Authentic red Bird’s Nest Soup are priced 5-10x more than the white couterparts. Moreover, when incubated in the manure or compost pit, Bird’s Nest Soup can become contaminated with nitrite, which increases the risk of cancer upon prolonged consumption.
Nowadays, the market is flooded with these fake red Bird’s Nest Soup, often very cheap to attract uninformed customers. We found that some stores even give 20g free samples of red Bird’s Nest Soup with purchase of 100g white ones. How is that possible when red Bird’s Nest Soup worth 10x the price of the white ones? Be a smart consumer! Think twice before spending your hard-earned money buying toxins that could be detrimental to your health.

*** How to tell:

Authentic red Bird’s Nest Soup carries the essence of the sea. Any one who has ever been to the ocean knows that the ocean air smells different. It has that distinct smell of the water, salt, sun and sand. Authentic red Bird’s Nest Soup has that same smell because it was exposed to the same elements. It has to be soak for a long time (2-3 hours) to become soft and the recommended cooking time is 2-3 hours compared to 30-45 minutes for the house Bird’s Nest Soup.

3. Fresh Bird’s Nest Soup

Fresh Bird’s Nest Soup are ones that have been soaked in water to clean out the debris but have NOT been through the drying stages. Hence, fresh Bird’s Nest Soup contain a large amount of water, ie weight of Bird’s Nest Soup and plus weight of water. It's impossible to assess whether you get a good deal as it's very difficult to know how much water fresh Bird’s Nest Soup contains.
There are rumors that fresh Bird’s Nest Soup is better than dried ones. That is NOT true. When it comes to nutritional value, fresh and dried Bird’s Nest Soup are the same. Smaller produces do not have adequate equipment for drying Bird’s Nest Soup so they spread such rumors for their benefits. And as we mentioned earlier, the customer usually lose when buying fresh Bird’s Nest Soup as it is nearly impossible to determine the amount of water inside. One way to check is to dry fresh Bird’s Nest Soup with fans then you can determine how much you actually pay for Bird’s Nest Soup vs water. Be an informed consumer and don't pay for water!
For your peace of mind, Hello Nest's food processing facilities are registered with the FDA. We are also licensed by the USDA and US Fish & Wildlife Services. We only uses Bird’s Nest Soups from small family farms that employ environmentally friendly and sustainable practices. Our Bird’s Nest Soup is 100% natural product and does not contain any chemical contaminant making it a premium product.
Unlike other manufacturers, we buy the Bird’s Nest Soups directly from the farmers and clean & package in our own facilities. We have strict quality control measures in place to ensure only the cream of the crop are delivered to our customers. By eliminating the middleman, we're able to provide you the highest quality Bird’s Nest Soups at substantial savings.
Our products are available in many Asian STORES throughout the US.

The Bird’s Nest Soup business: from Sumatra to Shenzen, via Melbourne

James Liew's warehouse is a stack of plastic tubs, tucked away in the corner of an office at his Port Melbourne showroom.

Inside those crates is one of the most expensive delicacies in the world: edible Bird’s Nest Soups.
Pale, fragile and very light – each nest weighing around 8 grams – they were created thousands of kilometres away in purpose-built facilities around Palembang on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Their destination is Shenzen but the stop-over at an industrial estate just outside the Melbourne CBD is no accident.

How Bird’s Nest Soup go from Indonesia to China via Australia

What is added in the nests' transit into and out of Australia is something infinitely lighter and almost as valuable as the nests themselves. It is the imprimatur of Australia's food standards regime.
"The reason why we bring it across into Australia is the stringent rules on food that Australian imposes," explains Mr Liew, whose company Company imports and then exports the product.
"Generally speaking, in China we face a lot of imitation product.
"We want to move the raw ingredients into Australia and then process it here with a very minor procedure. We want to get the recognition of Australian quarantine inspection."
The nests themselves are produced by the swiftlet birds, fabricated out of the birds' own hardened saliva to harbour their eggs.
Found only in south-east Asia, the nests have long been prized in Chinese culture for their health-enhancing qualities, where they are typically boiled and served as soup.
"It's from an ancient way," Mr Liew said. "We trust this product to help with bronchitis problems and for skin care."
From Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand to mainland China, it's a trade route as old as the Qing dynasty. Now it's taking a tack through Australia.
The new leg of the journey is partly about creating a new market here in Australia, where Company is selling its product into medicine shops, gifts shop and Crown casino.

What is added in the nests' transit into and out of Australia is something infinitely lighter and almost as valuable as the nests themselves.

Emblazoned on the red and gold labelling of the packaged Bird’s Nest Soups are the words "Australian Quarantine".
Mr Liew's family-owned company have gone to considerable effort to get that stamp of approval.
After the nests are transported into a Jakarta factory, they are cleaned and a hygienically sealed into a plastic envelope, known as retort pouch.
That process and a subsequent four-day quarantine stop here are carefully supervised by Australia's biosecurity bureaucrats.
It's a serious business. An outbreak of the H5N1 avian flu last month prompted China to issue a temporary ban on Bird’s Nest Soups from Malaysia.
Australia's food safety standards give Mr Liew an edge in the highly competitive retail market of Bird’s Nest Soup.
WeChat, the Chinese language social media platform, is a favoured market place for the commodities. It's one reason pricing in Australia, at around $7.50 per gram, is relatively close to the price in China for Company products.
Mr Liew's company also wholesales unbranded Bird’s Nest Soups direct from Indonesia into China at far lower rates.
The big mark-up takes place after the nests pass through Australian customs.
"In Australia it's all about protocol and systems. It's all about authenticity," Mr Liew says. "We can add in value based on this Australian presence."
The Bird’s Nest Soup business is part of a bigger and growing story of trade with China, now Australia's largest agriculture, forestry and fisheries export market. It was worth around $10 billion in 2015-16.
Company has also teamed with recently listed food exporter Winha to distribute its product in China. Winha itself is backing the establishment of a new agricultural college in Deniliquin to bolster food exports to China.
That appetite now ranges from milk powder, to value-added Bird’s Nest Soups, to beef – the first shipment of live cattle to China leaving Portland in Victoria in February – and even fields of South Australian lavender.

Bird’s Nest Soup is an excellent restorative food good for any age or gender

Bird’s Nest Soup can promote the regeneration of internal organs and brain cells, and nourishes the human body. Benefits include: moistening body heat, creating energy, boosting stamina, nourishing lung, controlling cough and asthma, etc.

Benefits of Bird’s Nest Soup

Ladies
Improves metabolism and frequent consumption results in young, radiant and fairer skin.
Pregnant Women
Consumption will improve immune functions of the fetus and reduce physical discomfort.
New Mothers
Eating Bird’s Nest Soup will help speed up recovery after giving birth.
Infants/Children
Enhances immune system, promotes brain and organ development, improves digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Elders
Clears phlegm, strengthens lungs, kidneys, spleen and enhances appetite. Contains antioxidant benefits - essential to achieving anti-aging effects.
Smokers
Nourishes lungs, clears phlegm, and stops coughing.

Chinese Medication

Bird’s Nest Soup was used in ancient China as a type of restorative and remedial food. Previous clinical research have concluded that Bird’s Nest Soup has a sweet and calm character. Bird’s Nest Soup contributes medical benefits to lung, stomach, and kidney neural systems.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong conducted a scientific study on Bird’s Nest Soup. It was concluded that the water-soluble protein of Bird’s Nest Soup contains a Mitogenic Stimulation Factor and Epidermic Growth Factor which can:
• Enhance the rebirth of cells
• Reinforce the immune system
• Restore energy and stamina
• Boost heart functions
• Supply, distribute heat energy throughout body
Bird’s Nest Soup is Rich in Protein and Other Nutrients
• Isoleucine
• Leucine
• Lysine
• Methionine
• Phenylalanine
• Threonine
• Tryptophan
• Valine
• Alanine
• Arginine
• Aspartic acid
• Cysteine
• Glutamic Acid
• Glycine
• Histidine
• Proline
• Serine
• Tyrosine
• Asparagine
• Glutamine
Bird’s Nest Soup is 50% protein - vital for tissue growth, maintenance and repair, muscle contraction and oxidation functions. Proteins are composed of 20 amino acids, 11 of which can be synthesized by human body (non-essential), and 9 have to be obtained through food (essential). Bird’s Nest Soup contains 18 amino acids, including ALL 9 essential amino acids.
Additionally, Bird’s Nest Soup is composed of almost a third of carbohydrates. The rest is a source of fibre, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.

How to Choose Bird’s Nest Soup

Size and volume
Due to its natural formation, Bird’s Nest Soup varies in size and weight. Everything else constant, larger Bird’s Nest Soups are more expensive. Size does not affect the nutritional values but wider nest are rare and there are more layers of saliva leading to higher expandability.
Color and purity
White nests have a slight ivory color; golden nests have a slight beige or golden color; red nests have a red color. When soaked in water, Bird’s Nest Soups will expand and turn into a lighter color and the thread become transparent. The water used for soaking shall remain transparent. If the Bird’s Nest Soup is extremely white and shiny, it may have been bleached and this will greatly reduce the nutrition content.
Taste and humidity
There should be a slight aroma of egg white when cooked. Storage for dry Bird’s Nest Soup is easier as it can be stored in room temperature. If the moisture content of the Bird’s Nest Soup is high then the chances of mould is higher, therefore it should be stored in a refrigerator or a cool place.
Price and trustworthiness
Price is dependent on the above factors. The best choice is to purchase from trustworthy shops with quality assurance. Unreasonably and extremely low prices may indicate that the Bird’s Nest Soup may be chemically treated, which may have reduced the health benefits or even be harmful to your health, or not even be real.
Density and volume after soaking
Nests with thinner threads, fewer gaps and thicker layers will expand more after soaking. Bird’s Nest Soup from different areas and types has different expansion ratios.
Real vs. Fake
Fake Bird’s Nest Soup have the following characteristics.
• low translucency and is reflective
• bleach, fishy, or acidic smell
• tight body, glossy surface, no cracks
• hard, tough, plastic substance
• becomes sticky once soaked

Bird’s Nest Soup

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

What Is Bird’s Nest Soup?

Bird’s Nest Soup 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’s Nest Soup:

Bird’s Nest Soups 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’s Nest Soup 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’s Nest Soup in a year -- the 'first phase’ (first harvesting period) Bird’s Nest Soup is the most nutritious Bird’s Nest Soup and contains much more proteins and minerals.
'First phase’ Bird’s Nest Soup 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’s Nest Soup harvested during this period is purer and gets bigger expansion after soaking. The body of Bird’s Nest Soup is obviously larger in size and thicker in texture.

The second and third phase Bird’s Nest Soup is not as good comparing with the 'first phase’ Bird’s Nest Soup 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’s Nest Soup is usually smaller in size and has lesser expandability.
IBNI has its own Bird’s Nest Soup farmhouses and processing plants in Indonesia. Some time before every Chinese Lunar New Year, IBNI ships fresh ‘first phase’ Bird’s Nest Soups to Hong Kong through air cargo. This guarantees sufficient supply of ‘first phase’ Bird’s Nest Soups in the market all the year round.
Chinese have the culture of consuming Bird’s Nest Soups traced back to Tang Dynasty, 1,400 years ago. It was told that Empress Wu Zetian used to rely on taking Bird’s Nest Soup to resist ageing. Since then, Bird’s Nest Soup 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’s Nest Soup was among the articles of tribute presented by adjacent Southeast Asian countries to the emperor of China. It was commonly known as “Imperial Bird’s Nest Soup”.

Bird’s Nest Soup Testing

SaniChem Resources offers analysis of nitrate and nitrite in Bird’s Nest Soup by ion chromatography (IC). IC is a more sensitive method where a level as low as 0.1 ppm may be detected. Our method involves extracting the nitrate and nitrite from the Bird’s Nest Soup matrices into solution and analysing the solution for nitrate and nitrate and a few other anions such as chloride, sulphate and phosphate. Sample amount required is about 1 gram which should be dry as that is the export requirement. Each sample should be placed in a separate small plastic bag, sealed and labelled before shipping to our laboratory. Depending on our workload, the turnaround time is between one to five days. We also provide moisture content analysis on the Bird’s Nest Soup for export quality compliance using Karl Fischer titration method and bacteria count test.

Why test for Nitrate and Nitrite in Bird’s Nest Soup?

Nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) are naturally occurring ions that are ubiquitous in the environment. Both are products of the oxidation of nitrogen by micro-organisms in plants, soil or water and, to a lesser extent, by electrical discharges such as lightning. Nitrate is the more stable form of oxidized nitrogen but can be reduced by microbial action to nitrite, which is moderately reactive chemically. Studies have shown that nitrate are found in many types of food especially meat products and vegetables. In fact it was shown that up to 90% of human dietary intake of nitrate come from vegetables which may contain up to two grams of nitrate per kilogram of vegetables. Nitrite, on the other hand are generally found in baked food and certain types of vegetables at much lower level at 2-4 mg per kg food. However, about 20% of nitrate may be converted to nitrite in the mouth by action of saliva and bacteria and more will be converted in the stomach. The toxicity of nitrate is generally due to its reduction to nitrite. Nitrite may react with some amine compounds to form N-nitroso compounds which were found to cause cancer in animal study and thus are suspected carcinogens. Based on many studies, health regulating bodies such as World Health Organization (WHO) has issue the allowable daily intake (ADI) of nitrate and nitrite to a maximum of 3.7 mg and 0.07 mg per Kg body weight respectively. Thus the allowable daily intake of a 60 Kg human is 222 mg for nitrate and 4.2 mg for nitrate per day. The WHO allowable limit for nitrite in food is 34 ppm and under the Malaysian Standard for Bird’s Nest Soup, the allowable limit is set at 30 ppm for nitrite.
China has recently adopted an allowable limit of 30 ppm (mg/Kg) of nitrite in imported Bird’s Nest Soup. This limit had been agreed with the Malaysian Government recently. Recent study by the Department of Veterinary Services, Johor(a state in Malaysia) reported that most EBN produced in Johor contain levels of nitrites in excess of the allowable limit. Their finding is summarised in the table below.
It is interesting to note that the percentage of uncleaned EBN containing 0-20 ppm nitrite was 57% while 32% contained 0-160 ppm nitrate. Upon cleaning, the percentage of 0-20 ppm nitrite increased to 62% and 0-160 ppm nitrate level was 81%. Nitrate and Nitrite are naturally occurring ions that can be found abundantly in the environment, including food. Studies have shown that Nitrate and nitrite are found in many types of food such as vegetables, fruit and meat product.

Nitrate and Nitrite

Nitrite is often used as a food additive for preservation and coloring purposes and the prevention of bacterial growth. Although it is widely used to cure meat, nitrite, in the presence of secondary amines in food product or in digestive system, will be converted into Nitroso Compounds and can cause health problems, including cancer, if ingested in large amounts. However, Nitrite will not pose serious threats to human health if it is used in accordance with the standards.
Nitrate which always present as sodium nitrate is the more stable form but tend to be oxidized to Nitrite in the existence of bacterial activity and oxygen. Thus, both nitrate and nitrite must be monitored to ensure the quality and safety of meat products.
Nitrite in red Bird’s Nest Soup may be formed naturally. Though, there are patches of circumstances found that a few sellers attempted to turn white Bird’s Nest Soup into red Bird’s Nest Soup to persuade customers who believe the blood-red nests are more nutritious thus increase the higher prices and demand from consumer for the red Bird’s Nest Soup. Unfortunately, adulterated Bird’s Nest Soups often feature excessive nitrite levels.

Heavy Metal

Heavy metal comes from an external sources. Swiflet birds travel around to acquire foods and drinks. During the process, there are a lot of possibility for the birds to bring along contaminant to their nests. Other than bacteria, heavy metal is one of a main concern among Bird’s Nest Soup consumer because most of heavy metal is very well known to cause cancer.

Bacteria

Since swiflet bird made the nest using its saliva, there are very high probability for bacterial growth especially the nest will be going to be a place where the birds live which we can expect fecal from the birds to present. Because of that, hygienic factor of the Bird’s Nest Soup is the main priority. Cleaning process must be done very thoroughly to make sure the Bird’s Nest Soups are clean and edible without affecting health of consumer.

Protein analysis

Protein analysis seems to be unnecessary because protein is not the main nutrient aimed by the consumer here. Raw Bird’s Nest Soup contain a quite high amount of protein. A high quality Bird’s Nest Soup should contain a high amount of protein too.
Though, there is a research found that after processing, the protein level decrease so much due to the cleaning process by using hydrogen peroxide, H2O2 as bleaching agent. It does not only eliminate all the bacteria and heavy metals, it also removes the essential sialic acid, minerals, epidermal growth factor and antioxidants. Through protein analysis, we can confirm no bleaching agent was used during the processing and the nutrient level is preserved to the optimum.

Moisture

Some Bird’s Nest Soup processor spray water to their processed Bird’s Nest Soup for easier packaging. While the Bird’s Nest Soup already clean, the high water content in the Bird’s Nest Soup provide a good environment for yeast and molds growth. This will force them to use preservative to prevent the growth thus increasing the level of nitrite, which when consumed in high amount will cause cancer.

Learn About The Name Of The Bird’s Nest Soup

I. Name by origin

Wild oats / in the cave: Two species of oats usually live in the cave is the fuciphaga (Popular called oats row) and Maxima oats (nest of black nest). But only the nest of oats row is known as Wild / Cave Nest in the market. Possibly because of the dangerous nature of taking oats in the cave, this kind of oats usually have the highest price compared to other types of oats in the market. Nest in the cave, with the natural conditions in the cave, usually shaped like a cup, thick body and hard legs. A cup-like appearance will help protect eggs or nest from being eaten by other animals and the weather. The feet of oats need to be hard to be attached to the wall because the cave is often high humidity. This type of nest is found in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Learn About The Name Of The Bird’s Nest Soup

Nest in the nest: Nest of the Esculanta oat is the type of nest often seen in the oat farms. Many people still think that swiftlet is can be raised but in reality we can only rely on construction techniques and design to lead the Bird’s Nest Soup in the nest can not feed them like chicken industry. The raising of the nest requires a huge investment, time for the Bird’s Nest Soup is long and especially not able to feed with artificial feed by the nature of wild Bird’s Nest Soup and can only be caught in flight. Depending on the color of the nest, the nest in the house is often white ivory, the quality of the nest depends on the area to eat more birds for prey? The oats are of high quality, the oats are large and thick as the nest in the mound, the food of the birds are flying flies like mosquitoes, pests, etc., oats can be harvested from 1 -4 times a year.

II. Name by color

The reason why the nest of different colors is still a subject of debate. According to Vietnamese folklore, it is believed that the old birds or Bird’s Nest Soup in the season of food shortage must use their blood with saliva to build the nest. This explains the red or pink color as well as the hatchability of blood nest compared with White Nest. However, many hypotheses about the temperature, humidity or diet of Bird’s Nest Soup are still under investigation. In addition, when the nest is made on the red cliffs and the leaking water from the rock slits also create the red of the nest. However, this type of blood nest with the cliff has a water immersion equivalent to candy (ie 7-9 times)

Swiftlet: This is a type of oats are bright red color and is the most expensive among the colors because of the rare and high demand. Not all production establishments have this type of nest. And if so, the type of Bird’s Nest Soup can only be harvested 1-2 times a year with very small. The number of swine and Hong Yen nest accounts for less than 10% of the total output in the world market. It is said that the red of the Blood Hyacinth is due to nesting process, Bird’s Nest Soup not enough saliva should have used its own blood to mix with saliva to build nest.

Canary: Like Bird’s Nest Soup in terms of price and scarcity, the canary is orange but the color can vary from tangerine to yellowish egg yolk. Darker the color, higher the price.

White oats: The most popular nest in the market. Each year can harvest 3-4 times. The number of Bird’s Nest Soup (including 3 species of oats above) sold on the world market accounts for 90% of the total number of oats in the market.

III. Name of the concept

Bird’s Nest Soup in Vietnam have hundreds of years of age and contribute not less to the revenue of local natural gifted nature. The Yen and professional traders are often distinguished by the class as: Blood (Red, due to nest nest position, the nest gradually turned to red) – (There is also documented that the nest is red because of the Bird’s Nest Soup released in the nest. the best oat and the highest economic value)

Pink (pink, due to Bird’s Nest Soup nest position, the nest gradually turned pink)
Quan (To, about 10g or more)
Thien (high above, white nest, from 8-10g)
Bai (Nest less than 6-7g)
Geography (Located at the bottom of the cliff, black, dirty)
Debris (oats broken by exploitation or transportation)

Bird’s Nest Soup in Vietnam

Consumers’ growing taste for nests made from swiftlet spittle gives ‘birdhouse’ a whole new meaning, but could it mean lasting damage to Vietnam’s ecosystem? By Lien Hoang. Photo by Lee Starnes.

After Uyen Vien injured his arm in a 2008 motorbike crash, he stemmed the lingering pain with a trusted remedy: the saliva of birds.

Tropical swiftlets use their spittle to build nests, and Vien used one of those nests to make a medicinal soup.

“I had a bowl once a day, and after a week, I felt better,” he says.
Seeing those effective results, he decided to construct a house outside Ho Chi Minh City where the birds could build their nests. By harvesting those nests and charging as much as $2,000 per kilogram, many swiftlet ‘farmers’ across Vietnam can make a fortune. It’s part of a larger trend around Asia, where consumers are becoming increasingly wealthy and increasingly attracted to such luxuries as Bird’s Nest Soup.

But could the growing demand hurt the regional ecosystem?
Gathorne Cranbrook, co-author of the 2002 book Swiftlets of Borneo, says the domesticated birds (which live in buildings) are “genetically different” from their wild cousins (which live in caves). The birds can navigate in the dark and are very behaviour-driven, so those born in houses will grow up to seek out similar places in which to build their own nests.
As competition for food increases, the farmed swiftlets risk shutting out the wild ones, as well as other varieties of swifts whose slobbery secretions aren’t so coveted. In some ways this is a zero-sum game because of the so-called “carrying capacity”, or the maximum number of birds that the local environment can support.
“It is a disadvantage to the wild birds,” Cranbrook, a leading expert on swiftlets, says in a telephone interview from his home in England.

A centuries-old trade

Bird’s Nest Soup is not a new delicacy in Asia. In the 16th century, and perhaps earlier, people were spelunking across the region to feed the lively nest trade. Cranbrook says Dutch merchants noticed this when they arrived at the time, especially in the tropical climates where the swiftlets thrive.
Caving could be a deadly profession; there are still reports to this day that people have fallen from ladders during harvests. In Vietnam, much of the industry officially centres on Nha Trang.
But that has changed in recent years, as skyrocketing demand pushed companies and individuals to set up brick-and-mortar homes for the swiftlets. Some build small dwellings just for the birds, while others simply add on attics to their existing homes to welcome feathered tenants. The taste for Bird’s Nest Soup especially saw a boom in the 1980s.
“It used to be for kings and the rich,” says local trader Tran Anh Trong. “But now it’s popular.”
Shops that sell Bird’s Nest Soup (to yen) have exploded around Ho Chi Minh City to cater to domestic customers, as well as those from Hong Kong, Singapore and China. Countries from Indonesia to Malaysia breed swiftlets as well. Bloomberg reported in August that demand is so great that it “is spawning a cottage industry that has attracted investment from VinaCapital Group Ltd, the nation’s largest fund manager, and helping mint new millionaires.”
Vietnamese who do buy the nests often do so as gifts to elder relatives. People consume them after undergoing surgery or giving birth. They’re believed to improve everything from digestion and libido to asthma and aging. Their actual healing properties are up for debate. Even Trong says it might just be in people’s heads.
“Psychology is very important,” he says.
Some Vietnamese don’t seem to mind whether the benefits can be proved, saying they feel better after drinking Bird’s Nest Soup, and that’s proof enough. Still, a VnExpress article in January cited associate professor Ngo Dang Nghia as saying recent research suggests the benefits are real.
He said the drooly concoction helps generate cells so that ailing bodies recover more quickly, supports firm bone development, keeps skin looking young, and strengthens the immune system against viruses.
Unlike bear bile and rhino horn, Bird’s Nest Soups comprise a largely legal trade because they don’t seem to harm the creatures involved.
But Jean-Francois Voisin, who co-wrote The White Nest Swiftlet and the Black Nest Swiftlet, recommends wild nests over farmed ones because they’re larger and more sustainable. He also warns against the indiscriminate use of pesticides, which harm the insect populations that feed swiftlets.
“Another problem with farm swiftlet[s] could be genetic pollution,” Voisin writes by email. He explains that interbreeding could result in a species that is less adaptive to nature, less productive, and more susceptible to disease. More field research needs to be done, but the Bird’s Nest Soup industry is large enough to pose unintended consequences that won’t be realised until decades down the line.

General Knowledge about Bird’s Nest Soup

Bird’s Nest Soup General Knowledge

Cave Bird’s Nest Soup:

Cave Bird’s Nest Soup refers to the nests built by swallows in natural stone walls or limestone caves. These Bird’s Nest Soups absorb a lots of Minerals from the cave and thus cause them to be beige or yellow in color and firmer in texture. They contain more fine feathers compared to house Bird’s Nest Soups. They expand to 2-3 times larger upon soaking require longer soaking time. They are delicious after stewing, taste better and can be stewed for longer hours.

Collocalia's Nest:

Collocalia’s Nest means the Bird’s Nest Soup which built with pure saliva of swiftlets, with minimum impurities, in strips, with strong absorbent and able to expand 7-8 times, it is the best quality Bird’s Nest Soup. They are usually white, yellow, red or grey in color.

House Bird’s Nest Soup:

House Bird’s Nest Soup refers to the nest built by swiftlets in the building created artificial. They build their nests under a well protection environment, so the Bird’s Nest Soup contain less impurities than Cave Bird’s Nest Soup and usually present in white color (also name as White Bird’s Nest Soup).
1. Whole Piece Bird’s Nest Soup:
These are curved or boat-shaped Bird’s Nest Soup which has been selected from the harvested Bird’s Nest Soup, with feathers removed, before they are sold. As whole piece Bird’s Nest Soups are naturally obtained and varies with sizes and shapes. These types of Bird’s Nest Soups are thicker than other types of Bird’s Nest Soups. They also possess higher nutritional value, with better flavour and better expandability when soaked. They are the cleanest among all Bird’s Nest Soups and they have high expandability. Sometime the Bird’s Nest Soups produced would be like boat-shaped, it is depend on the place they build the nest.
2. Narrow Bird’s Nest Soup Pieces:
These are whole piece Bird’s Nest Soups which have been accidentally broken during harvesting or delivery; or whole piece Bird’s Nest Soups which have been cut into narrow strips or separated after careful selection. Although they are not attractive physically, their quality and method of preparation are similar to whole piece Bird’s Nest Soups.
3. Bird’s Nest Soup Corners:
They are the hardest portions at both ends of the whole piece Bird’s Nest Soups and the highest concentration part of saliva from swiftlets. They normally separated from whole piece Bird’s Nest Soups and soaked separately because they require longer soaking time (about six to eight hours). The Bird’s Nest Soup corners are usually torn into smaller pieces prior to soaking so that they expand more easily. They are expanding more compared to whole piece Bird’s Nest Soups and crispier.
4. Bird’s Nest Soup Fragments:
These is as a result of breakage during harvesting and transportation or during the cleansing process. They are made up of small amounts of Bird’s Nest Soup.
5. Bird’s Nest Soup Biscuit:
These are made from broken Bird’s Nest Soup during harvesting. They have been processed and compressed into different shapes (such as rhombus, sphere, crescent and rectangular) and the quality is one grade below that of whole piece Bird’s Nest Soup.

Introduction to Bird’s Nest Soup

Bird’s Nest Soup are rich in protein, amino acids and minerals. Scientific reports have repeatedly shown that Bird’s Nest Soup can enhance tissue growth and cellular regeneration, slowing the ageing process, and boost cell mediated immunity in humans. It can also regulate the endocrine system and other body functions.

What exactly is Bird’s Nest Soup?

The Bird’s Nest Soup are made by swiftlet Collocalia-Fuciphaga, found in the tropical coastal area in South-east Asia. This unique swiftlet build their nests only with their saliva to form a composition of interwoven strands of salivary laminae cement. The nests are then crystallized and ready for swiftlet to lay eggs. When the egg has hatched and the young chick fledged, the nest is abandoned – a female will never lay her eggs in an old nest.
Bird’s Nest Soup are rich in protein, amino acids and minerals. Scientific reports have repeatedly shown that Bird’s Nest Soup can enhance tissue growth and cellular regeneration, slowing the ageing process, and boost cell mediated immunity in humans. It can also regulate the endocrine system and other body functions.
Bird’s Nest Soup are beneficial to all kinds of people, especially children, the elderly, pregnant women, and post-surgery recoverers. Patients suffering from coughs, tracheitis, bronchitis, asthma or lung disease also benefit.

Recipes

All recipes below use HealthyNest Premium Bird’s Nest Soup (either white or golden nest), and makes four servings.
Important note: The natural nutrients in Bird’s Nest Soup will be degraded in extended conditions of high heat. Thus, to preserve the nourishing benefit of Bird’s Nest Soup, the product should be cooked on low heat in water.
Bird’s Nest Soup preparation: Soak 18.8g (half a tael) of Bird’s Nest Soup in water for 8 to 12 hours, then drain. A standard package of HealthyNest Bird’s Nest Soup contains 37.5g (one tael).

1. Royal Lady’s Bird’s Nest Soup

Ingredients: Half a tael of HealthyNest Bird’s Nest Soup, 1 bowl of water, 2 bowls milk, 5 egg whites, a little ginger juice, a portion of pearl powder, rock sugar adjusted to taste.
Method: Add water to the Bird’s Nest Soup and cook on low heat for one hour. Add all other ingredients except the rock sugar. Mix and immediately seperate into four bowls. Steam each bowl for 10 more minutes. Just before serving, dissolve some rock sugar in each bowl.
Effect: Smooths the skin, replenish qi and soothe the nerves.

2. Stewed Bird’s Nest Soup with Papaya Milk

Ingredients: Half a tael of HealthyNest Bird’s Nest Soup, 1.5 bowls of water, 2 bowls fresh milk, cubed papaya and rock sugar adjusted to taste.
Method: Add water and rock sugar to the Bird’s Nest Soup and cook on low heat for one hour. Add milk and papaya, then continue cooking for 10 minutes.
Effect:Calms the liver and stomach, helps maintain fitness and healthy skin.

3. Stewed Bird’s Nest Soup with Coconut Water and Sago

Ingredients: Half a tael of HealthyNest Bird’s Nest Soup, 10 tablespoons of fresh coconut water, 3.5 bowls of water, sago, and rock sugar adjustedto taste.
Method: Add water and rock sugar to the Bird’s Nest Soup and cook on low heat for one hour. Seperately cook the sago in the meantime. Then add the coconut water and sago to the mixture and cook further for 10 minutes.
Effect:Cools internal heat, fortifies the spleen and lungs.

Bird’s Nest Soup- A Spoonful Of Legend

Properly known as Bird’s Nest Soup, it’s been a prized delicacy in China and among Chinese people for 1,200 years. The best nests were reserved as gifts for emperors and empresses, who ruled China as gods incarnate.That’s how deep Bird’s Nest Soups roots go into the collective Chinese soul.

Tiny swiftlets use their sticky saliva to build nests onto seaside cliffs and cave walls, to save them from predators. That’s not enough to keep them away from the humans who consider the nest powerful medicine, and are therefore willing to pay more for the Bird’s Nest Soup nests, pound for pound, than silver.

While trade in edible nests has been recorded since the T’ang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.), famed 15th century Chinese admiral Zheng He is also credited with starting the Chinese belief in the medicinal powers of Bird’s Nest Soup. As the story goes, shipwrecked sailors scavenging for food found the nests, and He told them to clean and cook them. A few days later, the sailors were full of vim and vigor, and He figured he should tell the emperor.

Benefits of Bird’s Nest Soup

The nests have been credited with a long list of benefits, including ensuring strong children for pregnant women and erasing wrinkles for mature matrons, providing lifelong immunity boosts for children and enhancing sexual prowess for men.
Our GM, Elaine Dang, attests to the soup’s medicinal value; ”I drank this when i was young which is where i get my immunity from,” she happily concludes.

So how exactly does the soup taste like?

”The jellylike strands had a slippery spaghetti texture, yet no discernible taste beyond sweetness from the rock sugar the meticulously cleaned nests were steamed with. It occurred to me that here was a food whose value had nothing to do with its flavors or eating qualities, and everything to with its cultural history,” explains Andrew Z. Galarneau News Food Editor at BuffaloFood.
Recognizing their value, Thai, Burmese and Indonesian entrepreneurs have been building condos for edible nest swiftlets, purpose-built structures as tall as apartment buildings. They’re honeycombed with alcoves where swifts can nest, lured by recorded swiftlet calls broadcast over loudspeakers.

Bird’s Nest Soup – A Once in a Lifetime Lunch

It’s not every day that you come across Bird’s Nest Soup on a menu, so when we saw it featured at the Palazzo’s Asian restaurant, Zine, in Vegas, we had no choice but to order it. The lychee martinis may have had something to do with our decision, after all, the soup cost $128 a bowl and no sober person that I know of would spend that kind of money on a bowl of soup.

This soup, actually known as Bird’s Nest Soup, is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine and has been ingested there and in various parts of Southeast Asia for centuries. Quick research indicates anywhere from the past 400 to 1500 years. In some countries the nests (built by swifts) are harvested by cliff-scaling pickers and are only taken after the eggs have hatched and the young have flown. Typically, it takes 35 days for the swift to use its spittle to wind and weave an intricate basket about the size of a human fist.
These days the nests are more commonly harvested from purpose-built nest houses. White nests can sell for up to $2,000 USD per kilo, but the red nests (the pigment is due to minerals found in the caves) from Thailand can have a price tag of up to $10,000 USD/kilo. At Zine, the soup alone cost around $90 for the bowl but with the papaya, the price increased to $128. That’s one heck of an expensive papaya if you ask me. Vegas. Go figure.
Why do people eat this stuff? The saliva is rich in nutrients and according to Chinese medicinal claims, eating said saliva will improve all sorts of ailments–from dull complexions to dull libido, and everything in between.
So what does Bird’s Nest Soup taste like? Hard to say as what we mostly tasted was the papaya. But I can tell you this, Bird’s Nest Soup has a texture like…spit. Strings of spit. Sort of like slimy glass noodles–which is what you will need to tell your brain as you spoon the saliva strings into your mouth: “Glass noodles. I’m eating glass noodles.” And then wash them down with another martini.

Bird’s Nest Soup History
Primarily known as Swallow Nest, Bird’s Nest Soup has been consumed by the Chinese people since more than 1500 years ago, firstly discovered during the Tang Dinasty (A.D. 618-907) in China. In the earliest records, it was said that the swallow nests were actually traded for porcelain during that time, and Admiral Cheng Ho returned from South East Asia, bringing back the swallow nest to the Chinese Emperor.

Royal Food for Chinese Emperor

Since then, swallow nest started to gain popularity inside the Chinese royal families, but was only consumed by the Emperor family and officials working in the court due to its limited supply. The ladies also regularly had swallow nest soup to maintain their beauty, and enhance their health.
Because of the scarcity and medicinal benefits, swallow nests were often given as highly prized presents or to represent wealth and power. At the end of Tang Dinasty’s reign, the swallow nest was finally introduced to the public and then has been widely known as the Bird’s Nest Soup.

Modern Bird’s Nest Soup House

After being open to public, Bird’s Nest Soup has been gaining a great popularity. The increasing demand and unpredictable harvest amount from the caves in the village encouraged the invention of new farming techniques. The modern Bird’s Nest Soup house is built to protect the swiftlets and nesting farms from natural predators, to increase the population of the swiftlets, and to improve quality consistency.

Medicinal Benefits

The medicinal values have been recorded on several historical records on the Traditional Chinese Medicine. According to medical masterwork, Pen Tsoa Feng Yuan, during the Ming Dinasty (1405-1433 AD) and early Ching Dinasty (1644-1911 AD), there was indication that Bird’s Nest Soup can strengthen the lungs and served as an anti-aging medicine. In the book of Ben Jing Feng Yuan by Zhang Lu Cheng in 1659, Bird’s Nest Soup can nourish the kidney and lungs, good for general health and stomach. In addition, on Medical Dictionary of China by Xie Guan published in 1921, Bird’s Nest Soup can nourish the lungs, balance and invigorate the Qi, enhance appetite, stop the coughing, act as an aphrodisiac and galvanize bone marrow.
Today, Bird’s Nest Soup still serves as a highly sought food for its numerous health benefits, and can be widely consumed by elderly, women, men, children, babies, and even pregnant women. Grab a natural and high-quality Bird’s Nest Soup in our store.

Bird’s Nest Soup Nutrient and Why Is It Consumed

China is the pioneer country which firstly consume Bird’s Nest Soup. It did when the Yuan dynasty time back then who took the Bird’s Nest Soups from Borneo and brought it to their country to be processed into Bird’s Nest Soup. At that time, only rich upper class society may consume the Bird’s Nest Soup.

Here are several reasons and health benefits of Bird’s Nest Soup to be consumed by human:
• One of the powerful herbs to neutralize the poisons over the body
• Source of food nutrient to maintain the skin health
• One of the best medicines to help the new cells growth which are more active in the body
• Balance the energy and increase the immunity
• Health the lung and make live longer

The research done on Bird’s Nest Soup found that it has multiple nutrients. They are protein, carbo, water, organic chemical, fat, ovotransferrin protein, amino acid, leusine, phosphorus, potassium, natrium, and serine. It also has a very useful nutrient of cell division inducing hormone and epidermal growth factor which influence the differentiation and regeneration of the cells.
The research done in China revealed that the Bird’s Nest Soup has multiple benefits for the human body. Since the very first time it was utilized as herb medicine, the knowledge of health benefits of Bird’s Nest Soup keep spreading out over the globe. Here are several health benefits of Bird’s Nest Soup which you need to know.

Curing Cough

If you are often suffering from cough, either dry or phlegm, you can start considering drinking Bird’s Nest Soup herb as the most powerful yet useful method to cure cough. Having bad cough means your lungs are lack of oxygen and air which then trigger the inflammation and produce phlegm. You can drink the Bird’s Nest Soup with additional sugar or honey or simply steam your face on the warm smoky boiled Bird’s Nest Soup to open the breath organs.

Maintaining Healthy Skin

Bird’s Nest Soup can also be used to maintain the skin health and solve multiple skin problems such as aging and wrinkle. Specifically for the women, Bird’s Nest Soup will stimulate the skin face to regularly regenerate and rejuvenate so that the skin will look much healthier, fresher, and more moisture. You may drink the boiled Bird’s Nest Soup or sweep along the skin as a mask. Do regularly for maximum result.

Lungs Sickness Treatment

Various diseases related to lungs health can be cured by consuming boiled or steamed water of Bird’s Nest Soup. Some of the sicknesses are cough, TBC, asthma, and swallowing disorder. Surprisingly, the Bird’s Nest Soup may also cure and prevent hiccup when you have the disorder. Simply drink the boiled or steamed water of Bird’s Nest Soup when the sickness comes.

Blood Vein Injures Healing

Blood vein failure may be caused by bad eating style such as consuming too much fat. The cholesterol stacking along the blood vein can easily damage the blood vein because it will make stiffening and tightening of the artery to the heart. Consuming Bird’s Nest Soup is believed to reduce the cholesterol level inside the blood vein so that the artery will be repaired and prevent the blood vein stiffening.

Improving Appetite

The exhausted body after working or suffering from sick usually will cause the decline of appetite. The decline of appetite will result a fragile body of easily get suffered from sick. To prevent the situation, it is strongly recommend consuming 12 grams of Bird’s Nest Soup mixed with milk or beef bones broth once in a day. The multiple minerals inside the Bird’s Nest Soup will help the increase of appetite.

Anti-Oxide Source

The Bird’s Nest Soup can also function as an agent of natural anti-oxide which overcoming the free radical attack from around us. The free radicals which attack the body can trigger the cells destruction, cancer, and early aging particularly if you don’t maintain the skin health as early as possible. Consuming nest bird will provide your body cells with amount of ant-oxide which is extremely powerful to resist of the sickness attack.

Mineral Source for Body Immune

Another health benefits of Bird’s Nest Soup is being the complete source of mineral such as potassium, natrium, calcium and others. The function of each mineral is very important for the body to form the natural immune system and able to against the disease. The mineral also aid to fasten the recovery after getting sick for any kind of sickness.

Hydrated and Tight Skin

Consuming Bird’s Nest Soup continuously will impact such great result for the skin moisture due to its multiple compounds of minerals and vitamins which support the regenerate of dead skin cells. Moreover, the sialat amino acid inside the Bird’s Nest Soup stimulate the skin to be tighter and keep hydrating in order to look fresh and free of dried. Consuming or applying on to the skin will give the same effect tough.

Pregnancy Support

Since decades ago in China, pregnant mother has been strongly recommended to consume Bird’s Nest Soup regularly. The health benefits of Bird’s Nest Soup for pregnant mother is to maintain the health and body immunity system, particularly for the pregnant mother who just enters the first trimester. Even, by consuming Bird’s Nest Soup regularly will contribute significant impact for the baby. The baby will have such healthy body and skin and the mother will also have elastic skin.

Tips to Consume Bird’s Nest Soup

Consuming Bird’s Nest Soup as the regulation will boost its benefit. In order to get the maximum benefit of Bird’s Nest Soup, you are advised to drink it once in a week; meanwhile, if your purpose is to recover after sickness, you can consume it every morning.

These are the steps how to consume Bird’s Nest Soup:

1. Choose the Bird’s Nest Soup which has clean white color, then soak it into water for about 2 hours, then let it cold for the next 4 hours. Reply the soak for about 12 hours and let the Bird’s Nest Soup inflates.
2. Cleanse the Bird’s Nest Soup under the flowing water while cut it into slices.
3. Put into the boiling hot water
4. Insert into the pan to cook Bird’s Nest Soup into the bigger pan and insert the water until the Bird’s Nest Soup inundated.
5. If you don’t like the original taste of the Bird’s Nest Soup, you may add honey or natural sugar.
6. Drink the Bird’s Nest Soup regularly as needed and every consumption should be not more than 1 cup of glass.
7. Do not ever consume Bird’s Nest Soup which has already turned into yellow or black since it indicated the poisoning mushroom.
8. Do not boil the Bird’s Nest Soup in more than 100 centigrade temperature because it may corrupt the natural compound of Bird’s Nest Soup.
The Bird’s Nest Soup can be a powerful medicine to cure various kinds of diseases and also fasten the recovery after getting sick. However, avoid to not buy the false Bird’s Nest Soup which can be closely alike with the original Bird’s Nest Soup. To sum up, there are many health benefits of Bird’s Nest Soup.

Benefits of Bird’s Nest Soup

The saliva of swallow bird, more popularly to be called as Bird’s Nest Soup, is one of the very powerful yet expensive herbal products. The Bird’s Nest Soup has small size of 11 cm with only 16 grams weight. When it goes mature, they can have up to 18 cm height and 32 grams of weight. The bird tail has a unique character with short size and end elongated like a scissor. The swallow bird will build its nest from the saliva mostly deep inside the caves and remained building. The bird has black and gray varied of feathers with specific voice tone. Many people have developed and benefitted the Bird’s Nest Soup business by building particular nest for the swallow.

Myanmar's Bird’s Nest Soup industry comes home to roost

Today the global Bird’s Nest Soup industry is estimated to be worth $5 billion, most of it produced in Southeast Asia.

The cries of amorous swiftlets echo around the dark room, an unlikely gold mine for traders in southern Myanmar who are cashing in on rising demand for the edible nests from China's growing middle class.
Dozens of buildings dedicated to the tiny birds have sprung up around Bokpyin in recent years, their grey concrete structures towering over the humbler wooden and brick homes of the town's human inhabitants.
Every morning and evening the air is filled with high-pitched twitterings blasted from loudspeakers that draw thousands of the swallow-like birds home to roost.

Bird’s Nest Soups have become one of the main industries in the town, traditionally known for producing the chewable stimulant betel nut as well as rubber and palm oil.
Traders can charge around $2,000 a viss (equivalent to 1.63 kilogrammes) for the tiny nests — more than the average person in Myanmar earns in a year.
"We started making man-made Bird’s Nest Soups (houses) 10 years ago," said Paing Set Aung, who owns one of the buildings where hundreds of swiftlets make their homes in the rafters.
"Initially there was a house where the birds came to roost by themselves. After that, people started to construct man-made bird houses."
Most of the tiny white nests, which are made from solidified Bird’s Nest Soup, are sold to neighbouring China.
Long considered the reserve of the country's wealthy elite, who ate them during lavish banquets, they are in increasing demand from middle-class consumers.
TRT World's Denee Savoia reports.

Exports surge

Myanmar's exports have surged since 2011 — the year the former junta handed over power to a quasi-civilian government.
"Bird’s Nest Soups are one of the main businesses in Bokpyin," said local Lin Aung, who built his first house five years ago and is now on his third.
"China is the top buyer of Bird’s Nest Soups here."
Once across the border, the nests are transformed into one of the most expensive foods in the world.
When boiled in water they dissolve into a gelatinous gloop which is then made into desserts or drunk as a soup or a tonic that is said to prolong life and improve strength.
There is little peer-reviewed scientific data showing that nests have proven medicinal properties. Nutritional studies have shown the saliva to be mainly made up of protein, followed by carbohydrates.

Caviar of the East

In Shanghai restaurants sell the "the caviar of the East," as it is known, for hundreds of dollars a bowl.
Many of them cater specifically to women, who believe the nests can help smooth the complexion and make them look younger.
The tonic is also said to help during pregnancy — one of Shanghai's high-end spas solely for mothers-to-be even has its own restaurant and sells gift bags for as much as 3900 RMB ($566).
Shoppers can also order the products online, including candied Bird’s Nest Soups from Myanmar to be eaten as sweets.
"In China, the Bird’s Nest Soup has been a really famous and much-loved traditional tonic since ancient times," Zhang Yi said inside her NestCha restaurant.
"It is mild and a little sweet. It is good for women, the elderly, children and men."

RFID technology thwarts Bird’s Nest Soup counterfeiters

One of the most coveted beauty products in Asia is found inside a damp and dark three storey house in southern Malaysia's Johor state.

A worker at the swiftlet farm carefully scrapes a small white Bird’s Nest Soup off a rafter.
The delicacy is spun from saliva and it will soon land in someone's soup, as people in China believe that eating Bird’s Nest Soup is good for their skin and they're willing to pay up to US$100 just for a handful.
It's a lucrative industry and counterfeits have flooded the market.
Safety concerns last July effectively halted all exports of Bird’s Nest Soups to China from Malaysia, the world's second biggest supplier of the delicacy.
The Malaysian agricultural ministry says its Bird’s Nest Soup industry is worth RM5b ($1.59bn; £1.01bn).
That is why the government is now investing in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to boost consumer confidence. It's one of the most common reasons why Asian governments use the technology.
RFID allows a product to be easily tracked from the source to the consumer.
The Bird’s Nest Soups can be sealed in a box with an RFID tag that contains a microchip embedded with details about the harvest. A handheld scanner emits a radio frequency to unlock that information.
It may sound similar to barcodes, but RFID tags are said to be harder to duplicate.

RFID technology thwarts Bird’s Nest Soup counterfeiters

Certificate of authenticity

Counterfeit Bird’s Nest Soups have affected producers like Yanming Resources. At its factory in Kuala Lumpur, more than a dozen women are sifting through the delicacy strand by strand.
Each worker is armed with a set of tweezer to pull out every piece of feather and speck of dirt. The final product can only contain saliva.
Still, it is hard for consumers to tell if a Bird’s Nest Soup is real or not so the company has been forced to lower prices in order to compete with counterfeits.
But with RFID, every step of this laborious process, from harvesting to packaging, is tagged. The data is stored centrally with the government. This official support will be key for consumers.
In essence the RFID becomes a certificate of authenticity, says Yow Lock Sen, who is in charge of overseeing the government project.
The system is still being perfected, but eventually customers who have safety concerns will be able to trace the origins of the product by simply downloading a free app onto a smartphone, and scanning the RFID tag on the product.
Although it is a government research project, participation from the industry is voluntary since it requires companies to buy the RFID tags and reading equipment.
Yanming Resources's Chua Huai Gen says it's a good investment.
"With the RFID technology, consumers will know that they are getting the real thing, so we can mark up our prices by 50%," he says.

Baby monitor

Malaysians seem willing to pay a premium for safety.
One of Kuala Lumpur's most luxurious private hospitals charges up to 100 times more than government facilities to deliver babies.
But the Prince Court Medical Centre also uses RFID technology to prevent baby mix-ups.
Mothers and their newborns each get tagged with an RFID bracelet after the delivery.
When the baby is near the mother, the tags will flash a green light. This tells nurses that they have the right match.
Sensors are also installed at every exit in the hospital to track patient movements. An alarm will be triggered off if the baby is taken away from the maternity ward.
Nurses can immediately trace the baby's location with special software available on the computer at the nursing station.
Medical staff say that this RFID system will reduce the chance of kidnapping.
It's not something that Rozaira Binti Mohd worried about during the delivery of her first two children.
But as she holds her newborn, the 32-year-old says she likes the added protection even if it means losing a bit of her privacy.
"I know where is my baby and if there is a possibility of kidnapping security can do something."
The hospital also uses RFID to tag its expensive medical supplies, reducing the time spent by nurses tracking down equipment.
Ultimately, it's about spending more time caring for the patients, according to Bee Lee Wong, the director of nursing services.

Precious cargo

Malaysia isn't the only country using RFID systems. Other Asian countries have pioneered different applications of the technology.
South Korea uses RFID to prevent tax evasion by tagging liquor bottles, says Chris Diorio, a professor of engineering and the chairman of one of the world's largest RFID technology providers, Impinj.
But he encountered an even more creative application in Taiwan.
Officials at Kaohsiung harbour, one of the busiest on the island, tag cargo containers with RFID tags. They can be read from a distance by a handheld device, even while on the back of a moving lorry.
Driver identification and cargo information is synchronized centrally, so if anything does not match then customs officials can inspect the cargo.
Any tampering with the cargo is also easy pick up because the RFID chip will stop working, says Mr Diorio.
But if the tag is intact and the information matches, then there is no need - saving thousands of man hours, he says.
"It's clever and it's something none of us had thought about," says Mr Diorio.
He says the technology is still in its early days and will have many other applications.
Still, much of RFID use in Asia is driven by governments making sure that that products are genuine because of the enormous growth in counterfeiting, he says.
As income levels rise in Asia, there is a demand for more guarantees by consumers.
Back at the Yanming Resources Bird’s Nest Soup factory, the delicacies are clean and being reshaped in little moulds before being packaged for export.
The company hopes that RFID will help these Bird’s Nest Soups land on Chinese kitchen tables intact.
Supporters of RFID technology, though, say it is not a fool proof system.
But as long as there are quality and safety concerns in Asia, being able to trace products back to their source may give consumers some sense of control.

Bird’s Nest Soup : A Nutritious Delicacy

Swiftlet’s nests are highly appreciated for its natural health benefit since a long time ago. Dated back from four hundred years, the Bird’s Nest Soup is one of the most well-known Chinese delicacy as well as traditional medicine. As a nutritious food, the Bird’s Nest Soup contains antioxidant and boosts immunity. It is also beneficial for maintaining women’s radiant beauty.

Bird’s Nest Soup Factor

Since ancient time, the Bird’s Nest Soup is known for its natural benefit. Rich with sialic acid, glycoproteins, and mineral, the Caviar from East is a healthy delicacy on your table. Sialic acid has a key role on brain development and neuron system. It prevents age-related, degenerative nervous system disorders. The levels of sialic acid in Bird’s Nest Soup are varied and affected by the natural condition of swiftlets and how the nests are being processed.
In PT. Esta Indonesia, we emphasize the best process for the production of swiftlet’s nests to maintain its benefit. We keep the nests naturally by applying highly standardized cultivation, cleaning, and drying system. Therefore, our product still has high sialic acid concentration.
Esta's Bird’s Nest Soup Factor (EBF) is the way on how we guarantee that each of our product gives you full nutrition of sialic acid. High sialic acid has become the authenticity factor of the Bird’s Nest Soup. The EBF 10+ shows the amount of sialic acid contained on Esta’s Bird’s Nest Soup as we want to give the our consumers the best benefit in health and beauty.
GMO FREE
We guarantee that our products are free from any GMO (Genetically Modified Organism). We take pride on our swiftlet farms that bring us the best quality and natural nests.
NO-ANIMAL CRUELTY
Our farms are designed to mimic natural habitat that allow the swiftlets to roam freely. The nest harvest is done in a specific time to keep the stability of swiftlet population and nature itself.
NO FOOD ADDITIVES
At PT. Esta Indonesia, we value what the nature has been giving us. Therefore, we do not put food additives into the nests, because we believe in its natural benefit.

Natural Benefit

Edible’s Bird’s Nest Soup contains nutritions which help us to improve health and well-being.
SIALIC ACID Esta Bird’s Nest Soup is a natural source of sialic acid, which has special role for both our body and brain.  It boosts up our over-all immunity, improves learning ability, and helps prevent influenza. The sialic acid level in our Bird’s Nest Soup is closely monitored by our team of researchers regularly.
SIALIC ACID
Esta Bird’s Nest Soup is a natural source of sialic acid, which has special role for both our body and brain. It boosts up our over-all immunity, improves learning ability, and helps prevent influenza. The sialic acid level in our Bird’s Nest Soup is closely monitored by our team of researchers regularly.
GLYCOPROTEIN Glycoprotein has various function; maintaining our immune system, blood, digestion, lungs, intercellular communication, reproduction system, and skin health. Proteins contained in Bird’s Nest Soups also have active compounds such as amino acids that help to build muscle protein, produce antibodies, and repair damaged tissues.
GLYCOPROTEIN
Glycoprotein has various function; maintaining our immune system, blood, digestion, lungs, intercellular communication, reproduction system, and skin health. Proteins contained in Bird’s Nest Soups also have active compounds such as amino acids that help to build muscle protein, produce antibodies, and repair damaged tissues.
Mineral  Packed with several kind of minerals, Bird’s Nest Soup is a perfect super food for our body. Mineral has various benefit for health, such as cell regeneration, strengthening immune system as well as body growth & development.
MINERAL
Packed with several kind of minerals, Bird’s Nest Soup is a perfect super food for our body. Mineral has various benefit for health, such as cell regeneration, strengthening immune system as well as body growth & development.

Bird’s Nest Soup for children

Children also are subject to adequate supplementation. In addition to the diverse sources of nutrition for the baby, Bird’s Nest Soups are many mothers choose foods nourish physical and intellectual resources for children.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam will help mothers better understand what they are and how to use this dish for her reasonable.

The use of Bird’s Nest Soups with children

The studies show that Bird’s Nest Soup is good for the children by the Bird’s Nest Soup complement proteins, amino acids and trace elements you and to stimulate a child's digestive system. Also rich in amino acid composition, Bird’s Nest Soup also contains Ca and Fe are essential minerals that the body she is often missing. Some rare elements such as Cr Salanganes'Nest low levels but it is very valuable in stimulating increased gastrointestinal absorption through the intestinal membrane.
This is not only a source of high protein, low fat, but also very good for bone growth and enhances the immunity of the child by the nest itself contains a lot of iron. In addition, oats also contain galactose without fat so it is a very good power supply.

Children at weaning age (from 07 months onwards) can be used oat dishes. In particular, children with malnutrition, anorexia, night sleep do not sleep, or lung diseases, chronic bronchitis are necessary should supplement regular oats. If used regularly Salanganes'Nest and right dose (about 70ml/ngay), immunity, the child's resistance is also improved.
School-age children should also use oats, especially in the examination test season, because the trace elements found in Bird’s Nest Soups as Mn, Cu, Zn, Br are very useful for the nerve stability and strengthen a child's memory.

Use Bird’s Nest Soups for efficient

With raw oats, after cleaning, body candy, chicken stew with meat or cooked form for your child to eat soup very complementary. However, the processing of raw oats take a lot of time, difficult to completely clean the feathers, dust and dirt. Not to mention the amount of nutrients in 01 huge nest, children can not absorb all of 01 times, while preserving the nest is difficult, if not properly can loss of nutrients nest.
To ensure nutrient absorption of oats is effective, should add oats for baby from a long way with the appropriate dose of 70 ml / day is sufficient. This way to ensure the child is receiving adequate nutrients from oats, both economically reasonable. The market has many products processed Bird’s Nest Soups with a suitable nest essence, make it easy for baby to eat every day. Should pay attention to choose the products with clear origins and reputation, the production of GMP, HACCP, ISO, do not use preservatives.
Oats are best eaten on an empty stomach, in the morning and evening before going to sleep to the best nutrients are absorbed.
Besides additional Bird’s Nest Soups, need balanced nutrition, science, all the other components needed in daily diet such as porridge, soup, shrimp, fish, meat, eggs, milk and fresh fruits and vegetables ... and dishes change regularly for children appetite, and should have mode daily physical activity for baby. Infants should not swallow, when they started to eat 01 small test prior to exploration.
Bird’s Nest Soup today has become 01 dishes "favorite" of athletes, professional or the need to keep his voice as host, singer, actor ... Last Post topics will answer questions around the effective use of oats for this particular object.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam