Bird’s nests are prized in traditional Chinese medicinal cuisine and are derived from swiftlet nests. — Filepic
Bird's nest became a popular Chinese cuisine component after renowned Ming Admiral Zheng. He was said to have been made aware of its health promoting benefits while visiting the Malay Archipelago during one of his historic voyages.
Mindful of this event that helped popularise bird’s nest as a prized Chinese cuisine ingredient, Chinese medical hall owner Ooi Pin Seng travelled all over South-East Asia after he started working full time at Weng Aun Thye with hopes of acquiring further knowledge on the delicacy many consider to be the most expensive and highly sought after animal product in human history.
The endeavour paid handsome dividends as repeated visits to remote islands throughout Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam helped dispel myths and opened his eyes to the intricate life of swiftlets that roost almost exclusively in caves, dormant volcanic craters and natural crevices behind waterfalls.
Occasionally cohabiting with bats, these birds make palm-sized, bracket-shaped nests with their viscous saliva that harden when exposed to air.
While pointing out that there are nearly 53 swiftlet species globally, Ooi declares that only a few variants produce bird’s nests that have the desired attributes to attract strong consumer demand.
At the same time, he debunks long held perceptions that red bird’s nests demand premium prices due to their high protein content and superior flavour.
“All bird’s nests, regardless of variety, have the nearly same protein and nutrient content that help prevent cancer, boost immunity, improve complexion, cure respiratory ailments and even serve as an aphrodisiac. Also, bird’s nest soup by itself is quite bland and only becomes tasty when adequate rock sugar is added during the cooking process,” Ooi says before scoffing at the common belief that the highly prized red bird’s nest comprises of the swallow’s regurgitated blood soaked saliva.
“How much blood do you think such a small bird like the swiftlet can afford to lose before it becomes life threatening?” he asks before explaining that the desired hue is attributed to specific minerals in the cave walls that dissolve in rain water that seep into the cavern and are absorbed by the nests.
It is also because of this specific reason that Ooi recommends consuming bird’s nests collected from the wild rather eating those acquired from swiftlet houses. “The concrete and wood used to create artificial cave-like environments in these man-made structures are devoid of health promoting minerals and nutrients,” he explains.
While mentioning that nests collected from swiftlet houses are whiter or have a paler appearance compared to their wild-sourced counterparts, Ooi cautions against purchasing the so-called golden bird’s nests as they are actually nothing more than nests from swiftlet houses that have been exposed to sunlight to acquire the desired yellowish hue.
