Have you ever tried eating a bird’s nest? It’s renowned for its nutrition and delicacy and it has been one of the signature cuisines of China.
This edible and nutritious bird’s nest is made by the male swiftlets, a small bird native in Southeast Asia. These swiftlets make the nests in the dark caves during the mating season in 35 days. These nests have the shape of a shallow cup that they built that stuck in the cliffs in the cave wall. Swiftlets make these nests by regurgitate thin gelatinous strands of laminae cement from their salivary glands under their tongues. This saliva harden when exposed to air, forming the nest for the female swiftlets to lay their eggs in. as the young swiftlets grow they fly away, leaving the nests abandoned in the caves.
Bird’s nests are from two sources: in cave nests (in their natural habitat) or in house nests (in specialized – constructed wooden roofed building to mimic the swiftlets’ natural habitat). Cave nests are found in the wild forests and generally in the caves and high cliffs. As the climate within the forest is usually harsh, the nests produced are mostly hard and deeper colour. They are much more fragrant as the nests don’t expand much. Also as it’s much harder to collect, the price is generally more expensive, reflecting the difficulty in obtaining the nests.
As for the commercially cultivated nests in buildings, although the mimicked habitat of dark and high in humidity, the mimicked habitat is actually much cleaner, making the nests produced contain less impurities. And the commercially – produced nests have the tendency in expanding their sizes more with much smoother texture.
Based on certain bird’s nest supplier, the bird’s nest is either graded based on the quality or size (or both) or simply are moulded into standard sizes, for easier packaging by weight.
In preparing the bird’s nest, the nests should first be soaked in water thoroughly to rehydrate the nests, making it ready for cooking. Depending on the grade and type, different preparation and cooking time is needed, but all is needed to make the nests sufficiently soft to consume. This luxurious delicacy soup can then be added with rock sugar, ginseng, or simply taken in plain.
The health benefits of bird’s nest are widely known, with numerous studies proving its nutrition and efficacy. With its high nutritional content of potassium, phosphorus, iron, protein, and antioxidants, it is suitable to be consumed in all age groups, providing the following health benefits:
as an immune system booster
aiding cell regenerations
stimulating growth and development in children
boosting up metabolism and appetite
increasing the body’s resistance to external health hazard such as pollution
reducing nausea and speeding up recovery in pregnant women
Consuming bird’s nest is also for maintaining the beauty. The nutrition in bird’s nest can enhance the beauty;
Clearer complexion,
Rejuvenating and moisturizing the skin,
Diminishing any fine lines too look younger and youthful.s
With bird’s nest, you can enjoy this delicacy and fine taste while maintaining your health and beauty.
To find out more about Senseno Bird Nest, visit the website: http://www.senseno.com/