Edible bird's nests, often called the "Caviar of the East," are one of the most expensive food products in the world. Bird's nest soup is commonly found in high-end restaurants in China, but the ingredients can also be found at some food markets in the region. Created by the swallow-like swiftlet and built out of a protein-rich secretion from the bird's saliva, the nests are coveted in Chinese culture for their medical and rejuvenating benefits.
But another p art of what makes the prized nests so expensive is the dangerous collection and laborious cleaning process they require. Inspired by a documentary on the subject, British photographer Andrew Newey decided to travel to the Madai Caves in Malaysia, where the local Ida'an people climb up as high as feet just to collect the nests.
Here's a look at the fascinating process, from the towering heights the men scale to the tiny knives and tweezers they use to pick the nests out. Source: Bloomberg. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Good Subscriber Account active since Shortcuts.
Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. It often indicates a user profile. Log out. US Markets Loading Many nests are made of any materials the bird can find. It makes cup-shaped nests inside tree cavities using moss, dried grass, dead leaves, wool, and animal hair.
The blue tit lays up to 15 eggs at a time. The eggs are white in color and have small, red spots. Some chicks need constant care from their parents after they hatch. Others are able to care for themselves almost immediately. At this point, a new farm building has to be constructed in a new area to restart the farming process. The swiftlets in his farms in Indonesia produce nests three or four times a year in the suburbs or areas close to the city, whereas they produce nests about 10 times a year in what he calls "pristine" areas, far from traffic and urbanization.
The nests are harvested by measuring their size and monitoring changes in color. The red coloration is caused by minerals in the swiftlet nests interacting with the environment. Blood bird's nest is rarely sold in restaurants or packaged in bottles; it is most commonly sold raw and as full cups and pieces for customers to boil at home. The labor-intensive and mechanization-defying process of harvesting nests also accounts for the price of the final product. Farmers have to scale ladders to obtain their harvest, removing each nest gently from the ceilings and ledges where the birds have built homes.
They then have to clean the nests and remove any feathers and dirt before cooking them. Cleaning the nests is an intricate process that has to be done with care to preserve the look of the nest.
The cleaner the swiftlet nest, the higher the price it can command. Most prized is a "full cup" of nest, which has a higher retail value than the fragments and edges, even though both have the same nutritional value.
Swiftlet nests' immune-boosting properties were once a product of Chinese myth. In recent years, swiftlet farmers and food scientists have been investing in research to prove the nests' nutritional benefits. In edible bird's nests, Malaysian researchers have found high levels of sialic acid , which is also found in breast milk.
In , researchers from Japan demonstrated that bird's nest contains antiviral properties and inhibits infections from influenza; this was later confirmed in by a team of researchers from Malaysia and California. Research by Hong Kong scientists from found that swiftlet nests contain a compound that acts similarly to Epidermal Growth Factor EGF , the glycoprotein known for its anti-aging properties. Swiftlet nests are packaged into essences, used in cosmetics, skincare products, made into pills, and even mixed into coffee.
Purest offers a bottled subscription, targeting young consumers who want a daily dose of swiftlet spit vitality while keeping aging at bay. Many bird's nest brands are also certified halal, and so can be marketed to the Muslim populations in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Compared to some other traditional Chinese medicines such as rhino horn or shark's fin, the bird's nest is "relatively ethical," said Chiam, given that birds do not need to be killed when their nests are harvested.
When asked if it harms the bird that their nests are taken away, Mranata said swiftlets leave the building in the daytime to hunt for food.
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