Eat served or soup from the "swallow's nest." Oh, this Chinese cuisine: bird's nest soup, century-old eggs, bear paws and other delicacies How do swallow's nests eat?

The entrance to other caves is hidden by the water column and opens only at low tide. Photo Depositphotos / PhotoXPress.ru

This delicacy, familiar to many of those who went on a trip to the countries of Southeast Asia, at least by hearsay, is classified as one of the most exotic dishes. As rare and distinctive as, say, king cobra fillets or the brains of a living monkey. It's about the swallow's nest soup. Real gourmets do not deny themselves the pleasure of trying it at least once, if they happen to be somewhere in Singapore, Bangkok or Saigon.

In high-end restaurants, it is served for a hundred dollars for a teacup-sized serving. It is possible and cheaper - at home. BirdNest packages or cans are sold in large quantities in markets and stores. But this, as they say, is not the same style. The real swallow's nest is the food of the gods. It's all about what you are served.

The lagoon was dazzling white. Lonely rocks and a small scattering of bamboo vessels, similar to coconut shells, darkened on the sparkling surface, like jewelry interspersing. The coast smoothly left us, pushing apart, like a curtain, the picturesque panorama of Sam Bong Bay near the northern outskirts of Nha Trang.

Against the background of tousled palms, the white thread of the bridge over the Kai River stood out clearly. From here, he seemed even more graceful than in the photographs in the advertising brochures. The curled up caps of the Cham temples of PohNogar became even closer to the clouds. Facing the sea, they serve as our navigator and altar at the same time.

Tung - the captain of our "Pearl" looked at the shore and muttered something to himself. Obviously he was praying. In the morning he went to the fortune teller who sits at the steps of PohNogar, and asked him to tell fortunes. The old prophet promised good luck and the protection of the sea lord.

History is reflected in these waters. In past centuries, even before the era of great geographical discoveries, pirates ruled here. Ethnically - a multi-tribal rabble. Fugitives from Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines were engaged in sea robbery and did not build nests anywhere. Actually, this is the South China Sea, about which today there is a lot of talk and debate in society, on newspaper pages and even at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

But we read more ancient sources - the notes of the British East India Company subrekar Thomas Bowir, who writes how the local merchants carried printed silk, porcelain, tea, mercury, ginger from China in their holds from China ...

From Siam - sandalwood, mahogany, ebony, betel nut, lacquer, mother of pearl, ivory, emeralds, Pailin sapphires ...

From Batavia - pearls and silver jewelry, cinnabar ... From Manila - incense, tobacco, silver, wax, sinew ... From Vietnam - gold and iron, patterned silks and cotton, eagle trees and swallow's nests ...

From time immemorial in Vietnam, "en-sao" soup has been an adornment of any royal table. At the royal feast of Emperor Li Thanh Tong - a great lover of life and the patron saint of the muses (it was he who laid the Temple of Literature in Hanoi in 1070), poets competed, singing en-sao as a divine drink.

According to the Chinese version, it was first prepared in the 13th century by the cooks of the young emperor from the Jin Dynasty. It happened at an unsuitable moment - the troops of Genghis Khan were moving from the north to Beijing. The emperor's army was defeated, its remnants took refuge on a deserted island surrounded by rocks. Hungry soldiers began to look for food, but the island was covered only with stunted vegetation.

And then the attention of the emperor was attracted by the swallow colonies. All the stones were covered with their nests from top to bottom. A skilled cook, by order of the lord, prepared a rather passable dish, everyone liked it - both the overlord and the army. The threat of hunger was ended.

Our "Zhemchuzhina" briskly walked on its own tack. On the right, rocky islands stretched like a darkening chain. Tung raised his hand and calmly said, “Here, you wanted en-sao. In spring, clouds of swallows flock here for nesting - small needle-tailed swifts, with their dark plumage and geometry of wings resembling swallows. Hence the name of the islands - Swallows.

Having short legs, not adapted for life on the earth's firmament, swiftlets spend most of their time in the air or in nests. But strong wings provide them with great maneuverability and high speed in flight. Rocky cliffs, rugged shores and labyrinths of fjords are ideal nesting grounds. Passing ships do not disturb the peace there, the road to the predator is closed. Only noisy waves beat against the rocks and the salty wind walks around.

Huge swallowtail colonies live in stone grottoes and caves, which are difficult to reach even for an experienced climber. The entrance to other caves is hidden by the water column and opens only at low tide. There are few such caves. One of them is Ho Cave near Da Nang, the other, the largest, is Chong Cave, five kilometers from Nha Trang.

We approached her. We made our way along the slippery stones to the very entrance. Birds scampered over our heads in agitated flocks. There was such a hubbub that we could not hear each other. Inside the cave, I climbed the ledge and looked down. Beneath me, snakes swam in the water - the eternal companions of the swiftlets during the nesting period.

Swifters begin to sculpt nests in the spring. They choose a secluded place and get to work. The first nest with an admixture of clay and sand, where eggs have already been laid, are plucked by hunters from the walls. Swallows, obeying the instinct of procreation, take on the latter. They are in a hurry to make a second clutch. But this time, the miners of the most valuable product take the nest into their pouch. There are very few days left for the swiftlets to hatch offspring. And they got to work for the third time. This nest is very small, it is molded only from saliva, without impurities, the main thing is to be in time.

Salangans create a home for little chicks with their last strength, literally from their own flesh. The secretions of the sublingual salivary glands are the only building blocks. Day after day, they draw out the strings of saliva, building up a semicircle of a new nest. A humid climate keeps the nest mild, preventing it from drying out for a week. Gelatinous mass with reddish and pink streaks is the most valuable in taste, and therefore the most expensive and rare on the market. For one kilogram - one hundred million dongs (about 4.5 thousand dollars).

On the neighboring rocks, hunters build special forests of bamboo and climb the sheer wall using climbing equipment. For hours, nest collectors hang on ropes at a height of up to hundreds of meters, risking their lives and literally playing with death.

The hottest season of harvesting does not last long - about seven days. During this time, with good weather and accompanying luck, it is possible to collect tens of kilograms of a quality product. Onshore at specialized factories, it is sorted, packaged in containers and sent for export - to Hong Kong, USA, Australia ...

Compared to other countries of the region - Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, where they are also engaged in a similar fishery, Vietnamese swallow nests are considered the most delicious and nutritious. They say it's all about the local climate and special natural conditions.

The nest hunters make the last call when the chicks hatch and stand on the wing. Then typhoons come from the Philippines and sweep into the sea everything that remains on the rocks and inside the caves. Until next spring ...

After moving to China, the first thing I did was to find out how things are on the culinary front. And what was my disappointment when I realized that borscht with bacon would not have to be screwed in here, the bread here is only white and not crispy, and the mayonnaise is sweet. Let's see what is included in the diet of a Chinese gourmet.

“So what do they eat then?” My grandmother asked. She is more worried than anyone that I will remain hungry in China. The Chinese have a rather sophisticated taste in terms of food: they eat everything that flies, crawls, and generally moves at least in the slightest degree. They humorously talk about their food preferences: “We eat everything that flies, except airplanes, and everything that has four legs, except tables and chairs.” Let's walk through local exotic delicacies.

Stinky tofu cheese

Simply put, it is a rotten cheese (a type of bean curd) that has been soaked in salted brine for so long that it ferments. The smell, you understand, is appropriate. Although many Chinese argue that they feel aromas only when cooking, and, they say, when using it, the sense of smell fades into the background, and taste buds come into play.

Fortunately for me, I didn’t have a chance to taste this creation, because strong ammoniacal aromas automatically caused a hail of tears. The Chinese thought that some bad news had come to me.

Chicken feet

Popular Chinese fast food that is sold everywhere and in any form. The paws are spiced or eaten without seasoning, and are served in restaurants, sold on the street at roadside eateries, and even vacuum-sealed in supermarkets. The Chinese love this delicacy! But my parents in Siberia even our dog refuses to eat this.

Duck tongues and heads

In China, poor ducks are eaten whole, with absolutely no preference for fillets or offal. When you come to dinner, you get baked duck skin for a snack, which must be eaten hot, dipped in salt. Then, most likely, it will be the turn of white meat and Peking duck. And already at the end of the feast, you will be offered duck bones, which the Chinese love to crunch like chips.

Beef and spinal cord

Russians cannot be surprised by such a dish, because it is also found in Russia. However, there it is served as a delicacy, and in the Celestial Empire such a dish can be tasted in almost every restaurant. For the Chinese, there is nothing exotic in this, which cannot be said about the brain of a monkey, for example.

Bird's nest soup

This is a dessert that resembles jelly in consistency. The main ingredient of such a dish is the saliva of a certain type of swift, from which they build their nests. Due to the combination of various microelements such as iodine, calcium, magnesium, this soup is believed to strengthen the immune system well.

Shark fin soup

Such a dish in China is served to important guests as a sign of respect, because it is a symbol of wealth and glory. As a rule, such a soup does not have a pronounced taste, so it is cooked in meat broth, otherwise it turns out to be completely bland.

Centenary eggs

Despite the name, these eggs are not at all a hundred years old, but at most several months. Eggs of chickens, ducks or quails are soaked in a special alkaline solution consisting of slaked lime and soda for ten days. Then they are wrapped in plastic wrap so that oxygen does not penetrate inside, and left for several months. During this time, the shell acquires a purple hue, the protein becomes dark gray, and the yolk turns green. The smell of this dish is no better than its appearance. But the Chinese do not pay attention to it and eat with pleasure.

Balut eggs

This dish is common in southern China. A balut egg is a duck egg with a ripe fruit. Such an egg is eaten both boiled and raw, sometimes with various seasonings and sauces. This dish is believed to be very beneficial for men's health.

Bear paws

This is a very expensive delicacy. As a rule, dishes made from real bear paws are served only in very expensive restaurants. In ordinary establishments, they are replaced with pork legs. Also, bear paws are widely used in local folk medicine.

And all kinds of frogs, turtles, crickets and spiders

This is already a classic of Chinese cuisine! Without them, I cannot imagine modern China.

However, despite the abundance of exotic dishes that cause more disgust than profuse salivation, there are also such foreigners who adore Chinese food. They eat everything, ask for supplements, gaining 5-10 extra pounds in the first year of life in the Middle Kingdom.

And this is, in fact, about me. Recently, after seeing my new photo on the seashore, my friend sent me a message: "I think you have put on a little weight." In short, I have no more friend.

It turns out that not everything is as sad with food as it seems at first glance, and the likelihood of bringing belly folds as a souvenir from China is very high. So what makes you so fat?

Sugar is added to almost every Chinese dish

For the Chinese, sugar is as much a spice as pepper. And in addition to sugar, pepper and a lot of salt, your dish will always contain monosodium glutamate by default - a food additive (E621 or MSG) that can change the taste of the dish beyond recognition. Some nutritionists shout that glutamate helps to retain water in the body, which leads to an increase in the likelihood of being overweight, others say the opposite.

Be that as it may, after the shock of seeing the numbers on the scale when I come to a Chinese restaurant, the first thing I ask is not to add MSG to my noodles. But I suspect that a few crystals of this additive somehow still penetrate my dish.

The Chinese almost always cook with corn oil.

They “bathe” food in oil by deep-frying it. And then, naturally, they pepper it, salt it, add millions of other seasonings. In my opinion, it turns out very tasty! Because of this, in the fight between proper nutrition and unhealthy fried food, in my case, victory remains far from healthy habits.

Chinese people eat white bread

Just bread without jam, butter, tea or anything else. The average Chinese can eat a loaf of white bread in one sitting as a snack. And the Chinese, believe me, are ready to have a snack every hour!

The bakeries are very popular here. And, even worse, they are at every turn. I promise myself to go there every day. But, seeing one not far ... further, as in a fog. I usually wake up after a while with coconut flakes on my cheeks and cream on my fingers. You can consider me a weak-willed creature!

Large and hearty portions

In a Chinese restaurant, my advice to you, opt for a maximum of 5-8 dishes for two.

But often, as it happens with me, at the sight of a menu, eyes run up in search of something new and unusual and something that has not yet been tried. Fortunately, the cost of restaurants here does not match the French, for example.

And now, having tasted a little bit of everything and gorged on, it would seem that they could calm down on this. But no! My grandmother taught not to leave food on the plate, because, in her opinion, all the power is hidden in the last pieces. And I don't want to be weak at all, so we eat up every last crumb, rolling out of the restaurant with relaxed belts. Fools! You can also ask to wrap up with you ...

As you can see, Chinese cuisine cannot be called dietary. Although many Chinese, having moved to Russia, complain about our cuisine, claiming that it is very high in calories. Paradox!

Surely many have heard of such a Chinese delicacy as "swallow's nests". True, in practice it turns out that few people know what this mysterious dish really is, what it consists of and how to prepare it. It seems very strange the idea of ​​getting these very nests, and even more so - there are. But the Chinese have a completely different opinion on this matter, because it is not for nothing that "swallow's nests" have long been considered food worthy of the imperial table.

"SWALLOW'S NEST"

On the bare rocks of some islands in the South China Sea, where there is no blade of grass, no clay, no sand,in hard-to-reach caves or gorges,one of the species of stone swifts, very similar to swallows - swallows - build their nests, using as a "building material" juveniles of thin, wire-like, sea fish, such as saury, which does not yet have bones, garlands of sea eggs on seaweed and other edible algae, which, when combined with avian saliva produced fromwith the help of glands located under their tongue, they are dried to a state of stone under the scorching sun and sea breeze.

It usually takes 40 days for birds to build a nest. The nest looks like a "protein" cradle measuring 5 to 6 centimeters.

This ideal (boneless, healthy) fish and vegetable product, slightly peeled on all sides, is a semi-finished product that does not spoil for years.

A product (or rather, a semi-finished product) belonging to the "mysterious", "mysterious", "exotic" products of Chinese cuisine. There is a lot of incorrect and contradictory information about the type, taste and application of the "swallow's nest". Its composition is usually not reported anything definite. Even in cookbooks, a dish is sometimes called a "swallow's nest", while this is a type of product that can be an integral part of different dishes, serve as an addition to them.

The history of swallow's nest soup goes back at least 700 years. It is believed that it dates back to the initial period of the Ming dynasty - the XIV-XVII centuries. According to the legend, in the 13th century the warriors of the emperor of the Jin dynasty, who were defeated by their enemy, and therefore were cut off on a small rocky island, became the discoverers of the "swallow's nests" in the 13th century. This rugged place could not boast of an abundance of vegetation or the presence of animals that could be eaten. Therefore, out of despair, one of the warriors came up with the idea to cook soup from the nests of birds that settled on the rocks. Such an unexpected dish not only saved the lives of the remnants of the defeated imperial army, but also extremely liked the emperor himself. Since then, "swallow's nests" have turned into a local delicacy, and such a patriotic background only fueled interest in this dish. Until now, anyone who finds himself in China can taste the food of the imperial soldiers and for a moment imagine himself in their place. Indeed, since those times, oddly enough, not only the taste of this dish has not changed, but even the very method of obtaining it.
Today, such a culinary masterpiece is the first dish on the exotic table in China and many other Asian countries.

Every year in late February and early March, a team of pickers, mainly local residents, land on small rocky islets on the southern coast of China. In a couple of months they have to collect several lots of nests, which hardworking birds will create one after another to raise their offspring.

Nest collectors climb the rocks and knock down the nests with sticks and ropes. You can take a lot at a time, because swifts settle on the rocks in colonies.The size of the nest is about five centimeters diagonally. With its graceful form, it resembles a porcelain cup.Color - whitish-yellowish, translucent (premium), gray, reddish-gray and black.

Assembly of "swallow's nests" in the Tiger Cave on one of the small islands in the Andaman Sea, located southwest of Thailand, takes place at an altitude of 120 meters.

The nest gathering season lasts from February to May.The nests are harvested three times during the season. Birds regenerate them twice, usually in the same place. Hunters do not touch the third nest until the chicks grow up. New nests outside the harvesting season are no longer suitable for food, because, even splinters, fluff, moss, earth and other delights, fastened with protein saliva, for some reason do not cause an appetite among visitors to exotic restaurants.

Viking Cave on Phi Phi Don Island. Thailand.

"Swallow's Nest" belongs to the category of seafood dishes, along with scallop, trepang, cuttlefish, jellyfish. Pieces of "swallow's nest", filled with boiling water and aged for 5 hours (the water is changed), can increase in volume by 8-12 times (depending on the percentage of fish and algae). For disinfection, cleaning from pebbles and other impurities, the "swallow's nest" is also treated with barium oxide, which gives an alkaline reaction. Then washed several times in cold and warm water.

Most of the delicacies are purchased for home cooking, but in Hong Kong restaurants you can order soup made from them for $ 50 a serving. Usually nests are cooked in chicken broth. There are also more sophisticated recipes, for example, "Phoenix Swallowing a Swallow" - chicken boiled twice in porcelain and stuffed from nests.They are added to chicken cutlets (meatballs) or served with vegetables and other side dishes.

"Swallow's Nest" is considered the highest value food product: a pound of it is valued at 500 Hong Kong dollars!

Health

Many of us love to have a bowl of delicious steaming soup for lunch that will satisfy our hunger. Soups are hearty and healthy meals made from what you have in your fridge. Maybe you have a bat or a tiger penis lying around in your fridge?

There are soups in the world that are completely different from those that you are used to cooking. Most of them came to us from such an unusual Asian cuisine for Europeans.

Learn about the most unusual first courses from around the world, some of which may shock you.

1) Menudo (Mexico)

While the ingredients in this soup are probably no surprise to some of you, not all people would be willing to try beef stomach. Menudo is a traditional Mexican soup that is popular in Mexico and is often prepared for special occasions. The dish is also widely known as a hangover cure.

Menudo is made from cow stomachs with the addition of onions, cilantro, oregano, chili and corn. It takes 7 to 10 hours to cook, as the stomach takes a very long time to become soft and tender. Some may wonder if the stomach really tastes good? But if you add all the other ingredients to it and let it simmer over low heat for a couple of hours, the result will be simply incredible.

The stomach becomes so tender that it melts in your mouth, add some corn tortillas to dip in the soup for a delicious meal. Little is known about the origin of this soup, but one can guess that in Mexico, when the bull was slaughtered, they wanted to use all parts of the carcass for cooking, including the stomachs. You can find this dish in many Mexican restaurants.

2) Kiburu (Tanzania)

This is probably the simplest soup on the list, made by the Chagga tribe at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro in eastern Africa. This tribe survives on agriculture and pays most attention to the cultivation of bananas and coffee.

The tribe leads a simple lifestyle, and therefore prepares simple dishes: kiburu soup is made from sweet bananas, legumes and ... mud. All ingredients are mixed with water to make a soup, and tree twigs can also be added here. The mud makes the soup salty and gives it an earthy taste.

3) Soup (Tanzania)

This soup is somewhat reminiscent of the Mexican Menudo soup, as different parts of the animals are used to make it. Soup, as the name implies, translates as "soup".

The Tanzanian version of this dish is prepared for breakfast, it is the most unusual and is made from the lungs, heart, liver, head of a goat and the stomach of a cow, sometimes from the viscera and tongue. Sometimes the soup is made on the basis of the hooves, then it is called "supu ya makongoro"... This is a traditional breakfast dish in Tanzania, and it also cures hangovers.

4) cock testicle soup

This soup is very similar to our Chicken Noodle Soup, except that it is not made with chicken meat, but with rooster eggs. Boil eggs and vegetables until tender. The testicles have a creamy texture inside, they are very soft, somewhat reminiscent of tofu, but with hard skin, like sausages.

Some have compared them to boiled eggs that taste like custard. The testicles have been found to have good side effects, for example, they are beneficial for the skin of women and increase the potency in men.

5) Bird's Nest Soup (China)

One of the more expensive soups on this list is bird's nest soup, which is made from swiftlet nests. This Chinese soup is a real delicacy and can be enjoyed in some restaurants for $ 30-100 per serving. A kilogram of bird nests costs about 2 thousand dollars.

In fact, this soup is made from the sticky bird saliva that birds mostly make up their nests from. The nest dissolves in water, the soup is somewhat reminiscent of jelly. These nests have been cooked in China for a long time, mostly in the form of soups.

Salangans build their nests in caves, and male birds do it. It takes about 35 days to build one nest. Birds weave threads from their saliva in the shape of a bowl. They say that the dish has a positive effect on human health, in particular, it helps to treat asthma, increases libido, and strengthens the immune system.

6) Reindeer Placenta Soup (China)

In Shanghai, China, you can try deer placenta soup, which can provide health benefits: strengthen sexual strength, heal kidneys, improve skin condition and boost vitality. Mushrooms, flowers, chicken are added to this soup, but the main ingredient is the deer placenta, which is quite elastic and which chews for a long time.

The placenta is the sac-like organ of the female body that attaches the embryo to the mother's uterus during pregnancy in most mammals. Blood passes through the placenta from the mother's body to the embryo, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the embryo, and helps eliminate by-products. After the baby is born, the placenta leaves the mother's body.

7) Cod Milk Soup (Japan)

This soup is made from the milk of cod fish and is very popular in Japan, where it is called shirako soup. Milk is a bag of fish semen that is boiled in water until it is a creamy stew, almost like a custard.

"Shirako" in translation means "white children"... The dish is prepared mainly in winter, it is believed that it can increase potency if it is eaten in a certain amount. Some oriental restaurants prepare this dish as something special in order to surprise customers.

8) Bat soup (palau islands)

This soup might not be so awful if its main ingredient (bats) were at least cleaned of fur. On the islands of Palau in the Pacific Ocean, apparently, there is a shortage of edible animals, so the locals do not disdain bats. The islands are home to several species of bats, those that eat insects and those that eat fruits.

The latter are boiled in coconut milk with ginger and other spices for several hours. In some restaurants, you can even choose a male or female before the poor mouse is thrown into boiling water alive. Many gourmets who dare to try this masterpiece of culinary art claim that it is magnificent, however, if you do not pay attention to the hairy head sticking out of the plate.

9) Tiger Penis Soup (China)

There are many soups made from the genitals of animals, but this soup is the rarest and most expensive of all. Indeed, to prepare it, you need to kill at least one tiger, which is punishable by death in China.

Tiger penis soup has been a special dish in Asian cuisine for many centuries (this is probably why there are so few tigers there today), since the tiger penis, as Asians believe, has the mystical properties of Viagra!

A poor feline's dried penis is soaked in water for a week and then simmered for 24 hours with spices and medicines, sometimes along with tiger bones. One serving of this soup can cost $ 400. Despite the tigers trying to protect them, their body parts still seep into the markets, but most of the products sold under the guise of tiger penises are actually deer or bull tendons.

10) Blood Soup (Vietnam)

And finally, the strangest soup on our list, which the tongue does not dare to call the soup. It is a traditional Vietnamese dish made from raw blood (usually goose blood), bird guts, peanuts and herbs.

This soup is frozen and the blood thickens and is eaten chilled before the blood loses its jelly-like consistency. Supposedly, the soup gives strength not only to the one who eats it, but also to the one who prepares it. The soup fell out of favor after bird flu became rampant in Asia. And yet, many Asians continue to eat it without fear of infection.

+ Bonus: Soup # 5

Soup # 5 also makes the list of the strangest soups on the planet. It is prepared in parts of Southeast Asia and consists of onions, carrots, broth, penis and bull testicles. This soup has also gained popularity for its aphrodisiac properties.

Edible bird's nest- these are bird nests, which are bred by one of the swifts that live in the countries of Southeast Asia - Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. There are 24 species of swifts registered in the world, but only three species of swifts produce edible bird nests. These are A. Fuciphagus, A. Maximus and C. Esculent. In turn, A. Fuciphagus is divided into A. Fuciphagus Vestitus, A. Fuciphagus Amechanus, A. Fuciphagus Perplexus, and A. Fuciphagus Fuciphagus. Their nests are known for the most beneficial composition of substances, as their nests are entirely made up of bird saliva. They are popularly called "golden swallows".

Swifts live in caves, in the mountains or in urban areas in rooms specially equipped for caves. Until the 1990s. many swifts lived in Indonesia, but constant fires led to their massive migration to a safer neighboring country - Malaysia.

The mating season for swifts begins from February to May. At this time, they produce the largest amount of saliva, which they use to build nests. This process takes about 30-45 days. Another 3-7 days pass in anticipation of the chicks. And if a young pair of swifts feels comfortable and safe in their home, then 2 eggs will appear in their nest, which they take care of in turn. It takes 3-4 weeks for the eggs to hatch, after which the chicks hatch and spend another 45-60 days in their nests before they learn to fly. Swifts have an extraordinary memory, so it is not difficult for them to find their nest among thousands of others after a long day 50 km from home. They leave their homes early in the morning at 5: 30-6: 30 and arrive back at 7: 15-7: 30 pm. Some swifts return during the day to feed their chicks. Swifts usually live in pairs and they do not change their "life partner" for the rest of their lives. They usually build their nests at night.

The consumption of bird nests dates back to 618-907. AD during the reign of the Tang dynasty. Today the main consumers of bird nests are China, Taiwan, Singapore and North America. Indonesia is the main supplier in the world, supplying 250-300 tons of nests per year, while Malaysia only supplies 25 tons, but Malaysian nests are considered to be the best in quality and useful composition.

Nest soup (Chinese 燕窝, pinyin yàn wō, pall. Yang w) is considered a delicacy in China, Vietnam and Malaysia. The soup has the appearance of mucus and resembles jelly in consistency. Prepares in a water bath.

According to scientific research from the University of Hong Kong, Japan's Shizuoka University and a group of experts from China, bird nests have a beneficial effect on overall human health. Bird nests have been shown to have the following therapeutic properties:

1. The bird's nest improves the color and condition of the skin, reduces the number of wrinkles and prevents their formation for a long time, rejuvenates and nourishes the skin.
2. Helps with diseases of the respiratory tract, bronchial asthma, stops pathological changes in the lungs.
3. Promotes increased male strength, cures impotence.
4. It is useful for pregnant and lactating women, contributes to the mental development of the child.
5. Helps normalize heart function, improve blood circulation and stabilize blood pressure.
6. Increases immunity, helps with general weakness of the body, promotes faster recovery of the body after illnesses and surgeries.
7. It is recommended to use the bird's nest in case of diseases of the digestive system, kidneys, liver cirrhosis, in the treatment of hepatitis B. It has a persistent antitumor effect in cancer of the esophagus, larynx and intestines. It can also be used to prevent the aforementioned diseases.
8. It is indicated in the treatment of complications after radiation and chemotherapy (for dry and sore throat, for constipation, nausea, etc.)
9. Current research from the University of Hong Kong also provides evidence that the bird's nest is beneficial in the treatment of lung cancer and AIDS.

Contraindications are not known, but individual intolerance is possible.

The biochemical composition was studied in detail by Taiwanese researchers, and the results were recorded using HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) and GC-MS (Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrophotometer) preparations.

According to the above studies, the main component of a bird's nest is glycoprotein, a biomolecule made up of protein and carbohydrate. That is, a bird's nest is 50% protein and 30% carbohydrates. Glycoproteins are essential for the functioning of the cells of the immune system. In addition, 5% of bird nests is iron, 3% - other minerals, 1.4% - fiber. The bird's nest also contains 17 important amino acids.

Amino acids

Irreplaceable

1. Leucine 5.9748
2. Valine 4.2705
3. Threonine 4.1686
4. Phenylalanine 3.9778
5. Lysine 2.2213
6. Isoleucine 2.0331
7. Methionine 0.1613

Replaceable

1. Tyrosine 5.2437
2. Serine 4.6602
3. Arginine 4.1251
4. Glycine 2.4528
5. Histidine 2.0536
6. Cysteine ​​0.4609
7. Aspartic acid 5.5546
8. Glutamic acid 5.5079
9. Proline 4.0430
10. Alanine 1.7730

Calories (kcal) 281 Protein (g) 37.5 Fat (g) 0.3 Carbohydrates (g) 32.1 Calcium (mg) 485 Phosphorus (mg) 18 Iron (mg) 3 Water ( gr.) 24.5

The bird's nest, according to research from the University of Hong Kong, contains a hormone that stimulates cell division and has an epidermal growth factor that stimulates tissue growth, cell regeneration and cellular immunity in the human body. US dermatologists Stanley Cohen and Rita Levi-Montalcini recognized that epidermal growth factor is one of the most important components of the epidermis, stimulating cell growth and being one of the most effective for skin care.

Due to its unique composition, the bird's nest is easily and completely absorbed by the human body. According to scientists, the edible bird's nest is an invaluable product used in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. Their experiments and practical experience proved the positive effects of using a bird's nest in the regeneration of cells of the human body, stimulating the immune system, treating bronchial, digestive and heart diseases, healing postoperative sutures, etc. The high value of bird nests in eastern medical practice explains its popularity in Hong Kong , China, Japan, Singapore and the United States, despite the high cost of the product.

Edible natural bird nests have a unique composition of nutrients and have a positive effect on the condition of the skin of the face and body, and are also effectively used in the prevention and recovery of the body from various diseases, but at the same time, scientists believe that the potential of the beneficial properties of bird nests has not yet been fully studied. And, perhaps, new amazing discoveries await us in the future ...

Swallow's nest

Swifts of the genus Aerodramus, found in Southeast Asia, use their own saliva to make nests.

Swallow's Nest and Snow Mushroom Drink

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• Victor Pogadaev. Swallows are losing the battle for their nests

Soup from the nest

Nowadays, you will hardly surprise any of our compatriots with stories about such exotic gastronomic dishes as fugu sashimi, crocodile roast or durian fruits, which, according to those who have tasted them, taste like strawberries and cream with a taste of rotten herring. But even today, not many can boast that they have tried "bird's nest soup" - an oriental delicacy and the most expensive food in the world. In Hong Kong markets, the cost of the nests from which this dish is prepared reaches over 4 thousand US dollars per kilogram.

The creators of the nests that humans use for food are swifts-swifters - small birds slightly larger than an ordinary sparrow. Moreover, out of more than 20 species of swiftlets, only a few produce nests that are edible. The bulk of the nests sold all over the world belongs to two species: the so-called "light-nested" and "dark-nested" swiftlets. The first of these builds a bowl-like nest containing layers of salivary secretions with several feathers between them (so it looks light); the nest of the second contains many feathers fastened together with saliva, therefore it seems dark and has a fleecy structure. Due to the presence of feathers, the raw material of the nests must be cleaned before making soup and other dishes. Both swiftlets are found from the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean to the offshore coastal areas of Thailand, Vietnam, and eastward to Indonesia and the Philippines. In most areas, the habitats of these two birds overlap.

The earliest mention of edible nests dates back to the Chinese Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). There is a legend that the birds that built these nests, similar to swallows, fed on certain mollusks and sea foam. The undigested shellfish fibers were then mixed with saliva to serve as the building blocks of the nest. Together with the prowess and duration of the swiftlets' flight, this legend contributed to the spread of the belief among the inhabitants of Southeast Asia, especially among the Chinese, that the translucent fibers of the nests have healing, tonic and even potency-increasing abilities.

However, contrary to traditional belief, swiftlets do not feed on shellfish or sea foam. They are insectivorous birds. With excellent eyesight and short, wide beaks, swiftlets are perfectly adapted to catch small insects on the fly.

As a result of living in dark caves, the swiftlets have also developed the ability to navigate acoustically using echolocation. Unlike the pulses emitted by bats, swiftlets' echolocation signals - a series of sharp clicks - can be heard by a person near the cave entrance. However, the echolocation of swiftlets is not as sensitive as that of bats and is therefore useless in determining the location of prey insects.

The nest sticky material is secreted by male and female swiftlets from a pair of salivary glands, i.e. The main ingredient in a bowl of bird's nest soup is the protein, carbohydrate and fat-rich saliva of swiftlets with a small amount of minerals. There is no evidence that it has any medical value. Scientists have found that this saliva contains substances that promote cellular and tissue repair and support the swiftlet's immune system. But no reliable impact on people was found.

Collecting nests is risky because swiftlets build them on the walls of caves tens of meters above the ground. Experienced and skillful climbers are hired to collect these nests. They build temporary "forests" of bamboo. To pick the nests off the wall, pickers use a bamboo pole with a candle attached to it. The end of the pole is split in the form of a conical basket or equipped with a metal spatula. A modern innovation is the replacement of the candle with a small light bulb and a collecting net hanging at the bottom.

Usually collectors tear nests from the walls of the cave, regardless of the season, in connection with which a large number of eggs and newly hatched chicks often die. This practice has resulted in a sharp decline in the swiftlet populations producing edible nests. The number of some in recent years has decreased by 80–90%, others have disappeared completely. In addition, the forests where these birds feed during the day are quickly cut down to obtain building material. The alarming decline in swiftlet populations means urgent action is needed to conserve these birds.

However, a simple ban on the collection and sale of swiftlet nests will not solve the problem of overexploitation, as this activity ensures the existence of local residents who live near the caves. In addition, there will always be people willing to risk their lives in order to do this illegally. Swiftlet nests are small and can be smuggled extremely easily. Trying to impose such a ban on the black market is almost impossible.

And yet, today, most collectors in countries where nest-producing swiftlets live agree with scientists' proposals to halve the frequency of collecting nests of these birds and at least once a year to give them the opportunity to freely reproduce, and therefore survive.