PRODCUT: BIRDS NEST

The birds called Swiftlets or Cave Swiftlets are contained within the four genera Aerodramus, Hydrochous, Schoutedenapus and Collocalia. They form the Collocaliini tribe within the swift family Apodidae.

Authentic bird's nest is made from nests of some species of swiftlet, mainly the Edible-nest (or White-nest) swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus) and the Black-nest swiftlet. Instead of twigs, feathers and straw, these swiftlet make their nest only from strands of their gummy saliva, which harden when exposed to air. Once the nests are harvested, they are cleaned and sold to restaurants. Eating swiftlet nest material is believed to help maintain skin tone, balance qi ("life energy") and reinforce the immune system. It is also thought to strengthen the lungs and prevent coughs, improve the constitution and prolong life. Research shows that every 100 g of dry nest contains 49.9 g of water-soluble protein (including amido nitrogen, monoamine nitrogen, non-amino nitrogen, arginine, humin, histidine, lysine and cysteine), 30.6 g carbohydrate (glycoprotein and mucin), 4.9 g iron, 2.5 g inorganic salt (including potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus, silica and other trace elements), and 1.4 g fiber (Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The History of Chinese Medicine and the Nutrition Table)

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