Nest of swallow

The nest known as of swallow ( “swallows' nest” for the Anglo-Saxons) appreciated gastronomes in Asia is not in fact not produced by Hirondelle S, but by some species and subspecies of trip hammer S which secrete a Mucus mucilagineux, edible, to build their nest.

This mucus is required like luxury item by the traditional kitchen Chinese, Vietnamese and of many countries of Southeast Asia, but one allots also many virtues for health to him.

Only one species of trip hammer builds an entirely edible nest. These nests are blanchâtres and translucent, sometimes tinted of yellow, with an aspect which evokes a little noodles of rice. The majority of the other species manufacture nests which are only partially edible. In this last case, one uses of it only the porous and transparent part made up of dried mucus.

Its scarcity and the required effort with the harvest of this product made of them mets particularly appreciated. It was only collected a long time in the cavities of abrupt cliffs and often in altitude, or in vast caves moved back in the jungle.

History

This expensive and delicate mets was formerly reserved to the kings and for the mandarins. The nests were imported Sarawak (is Malaysia) by the Dynastie Tang (618 - 907). Their popularity increasing as of the Années 970 the Dynastie Song was to seek them in all the archipelago of Indonesia, and under the reign of the Dynastie Ming (1368 - 1644), China also made some come from Malaysia, Thailand and the Vietnam.

Considering the thickness of Guano found in certain caves, one can think that these trip hammers were formerly very numerous (with the Réunion, one finds colonies reaching ten thousand individuals). Too intensive harvests probably made rather precociously move back the species producing these nests in China of the south and in certain caves of the other countries of Southeast Asia.

The Chinese emperors who thought that they would preserve a long time their youth thanks to the virtues of the nests sent emissary to collect some or buy some until in Indonesia, India, Filipino and Thailand. In Indonesia, where the Chinese minority still is very implied in the trade of the nests, they was mets consumed by the kings and the municipal officials since 1720 at least, and the price still remains very high about it.

Collect before the years 1990

On the coasts of the Sea of Andaman, in Thailand, men côtoient death each day in the moist touffor of caves as vast as of the cathedrals so that, with HongKong, Singapore or New York, of the demanding gourmets can délecter of their mets favorite: nests of swallow.

Using a pole provided with a metal hook, the dénicheurs rise towards the entry in overhang of the caves, in the south of Thailand. To rejoin the various sites of gathering, the pick-ups, which are also generally fishing, use their boat because the vegetation makes displacements difficult. They examine the structure of the bamboos which they will climb. On their solidity and way in which those are dependant safety depends on the dénicheurs. In spite of their agility of funambulist and their knowledge of the places, it is not rare that one of them finds death.

Each gatherer uses three torches made up of barks soaked in resin and wrapped sheets of tree, which it holds between the teeth to light. When third is with burned half, it is sign which it is necessary to go down again.

The storage areas of the Salangane to white nest (Aerodramus fushipagus) and of the salangane with black nest (maximum Aerodramus) extend on hundreds from thousands from km ².

Girded of a red streamer, a stalactite is venerated under the name of To Limao, the god charms cave of the Tiger. At the beginning of each countryside, the dénicheurs come to deposit there small flags, incense or delicacies in order to obtain its protection. None failed in the rite.

The dénicheurs have weapons of war to be opposed to the wild gathering poachers.

Preparation

By a steeping in tepid water, the cook must withdraw the Plume S and Impureté S of the nest, to cook it a long time (up to three hours) in ebullient water. The nest is surbedded then in thousands of white fibers of a mucilagineuse substance which is recovered to compose various dishes, for example of soups or the dishes accompanying a Pigeon or a hen cooked with the Bain-marie. Prepared with Bean S or Nut of lotus, the nest of swallow gives a compote very appreciated in Asia.

In Indonesia

Many species of Apodidae attend the caves of planet, but only some species produce nests rather rich in “saliva” to be marketed.

The nests of four species are coveted in Indonesia, country which provides 70% of the worldwide production.

The clear nests or “white nests” are most required. The “swallows” which produce them are most numerous with Borneo.

One collects the nests of the following trip hammers:

Aerodramus fushipagus ( “walet sarang putih” in Indonésien or “yen-or” Chinese ); pale brown bird, more clearly on the lower part, with the nozzle and legs generally black, measuring 12 cm the length and 25 of scale, which produces the white nest, most famous. It is the only species which produces an entirely consumable nest (sometimes some feathers are mixed with saliva).
maximum Aerodramus ( “walet sarang hitam” in Indonésien, or “maoyen” Chinese ), darker bird, with the gray feathers towards the tail and the bottom of the back, which produces a nest says “black” ( maoyan for the Chinese) manufactured with a mixture of saliva and feathers, in wetter and colder considered caves.
Collocalia esculanta ( “seriti” in indonésien), and Collocalia vanikorensis ( “seriti lumut” in indonésien), with the black feathers (except on the belly which is white). These trip hammers are 10 cm long for a scale of 20 cm. In fact birds seek less the darkness and peace that the precedents. Certain populations of these trip hammers do not fear the human proximity, nesting readily in the houses, markets, mosques, schools, etc but one also finds it in certain caves and caves.
the Collocalia E have many subspecies, whose nests can be used.

With the Vietnam

One seeks the nests of the following trip hammers:

Ptyonoprogne rupestris (known as “swallow of the rocks”).
Collocalia Fuchiphaga ( “Salangane” for Vietnamese, “walet” in indonésien, known as “swallow with Chinese gold feathers”). This bird annually produces a small light nest (of ten grams) in the caves especially located around the sea of the Center (of Bình Định with Khanh Hoa) or on isolated small islands.

The Salangane builds its nest with the approach of the Fête of the Small fireclay cup. It takes him approximately three months to finish it. The hunters of nests collect them then, forcing the trip hammer to rebuild a second nest before the laying. As soon as oisillons them sufficiently grew, the hunters return to gather the nest. The swallow can then rebuild a third and last nest for the year. According to the récolteurs, that does not affect the populations, but according to the ornithologists, intensive harvests are a threat for these species which become exhausted with unceasingly rebuilding their nest. In other countries, it is interdict to destroy the nests of swallows and trip hammers, birds Insectivore S considered as particularly important for balances ecological, and useful, for example, for the fight against the Moustique S (vectors of many grave diseases).

Virtues

In China and Southeast Asia, these nests are traditionally famous being a strengthening good, to push back old age, to facilitate digestion, to accelerate convalescence (operated patients, casualties and). And they would still have many other virtues for health. The nest of swallow occupies a choice place in the traditional Chinese pharmacopeia.

To eat these nests in the form of soup or of compote or in the form of traditional medicines is judicious to increase the metabolism and energy, to make fall the Fièvre and to flux blood circulation. The nests of swallows would be good for the skin and the lungs, the beauty of the face, and they would look after the Grippe, the Toux, the Asthme, the evils of throat, in particular at the smokers. The tradition recommends them to the expectant mothers so that the baby has a beautiful skin and solid bones. According to certain producers, their consumption would slow down or block even the growth of cancer cells.

In other forms (in alcohol, out of juice, etc), they could says one to look after certain ocular affections. According to the legends of the Kung fu, practitioners would have used them in various potions, for in particular looking after their wounds.

Consommer nests is, in Indonesia, considered to contribute to refresh the human body when the weather is very hot, or in the event of fever. This effect could be related to the Glycoprotéine S which compose the essence of the dry matter of the nest (up to 50%). Dried mucus and thread by these trip hammers are an undeniable source of amino-acids. Some see there active molecules (a producer of nest quotes the Azitothymidine (AZT) used since the end of the Années 1980 against the AIDS) and the ODA (acid 9-octadeceonic) as well as the HAD (acid Hexadécane) which with low dose would dope (from three to five times) the enzymatic activity of the organization, by accelerating the Cycle of Krebs.

Biochemistry

Few studies seem to have related to this Biopolymère complex, rich in Protéine S and a priori different from the Salive S and Mucus usually produced by glands of the birds or other animals (salivary or different glands).

This substance seems single in the reign of the birds. Perhaps its virtues are ascribable only to Superstition S, or that its value results from its scarcity, but it could be interesting to study possible properties in particular Antibiotique S and Virucide S of these nests. One cannot indeed exclude that the natural selection could support trip hammers having effective means of better protecting their small from pathogenic usually infecting the birds. This matter seems for example in the wet caves to resist well the moulds and with the bacteria present in the droppings of let us oisillons. In addition, one knows other antibiotic properties or enzymatic astonishing of the Salive S and Mucus at other animal species, with molecules acting with very low dose (of which the Ptyaline (or amylase) which enables us to digest the starch). The ones assert that it would be astonishing that the active substances - if they exist - would resist a preparation which scalds the nest during three hours. Others answer that one however knows proteins which preserve complex properties at high temperatures lasting of long hours (prion pathogenic for example). Would the benefit for health, if there exists, come from the algae or plants that certain trip hammers agglomerate with their saliva?

From the medical point of view , it should be still waited until research confirms or disabled person the virtues that one lends to the nests swallows.
From the gustatory point of view , the gastronomes notes that the nest alone, scalded, does not have any taste, and that it is the accompaniment or the ingredients added in soup which do all. It is possible that mucus fixes in a particular way certain flavors. Another assumption would be that the high value of this mets comes simply from its scarcity associated with an absence with taste, packed of useless that only the rich person and the powerful ones could be paid.

Hygiene and safety

The edible nests of swallows cannot be imported in certain countries, or in certain conditions.

For example, to the Canada, the producer must provide the proof that the nest underwent a treatment by heat with “at least 100 °C during at least 1 hour”. “Any other treatment will require a license of importation and an evaluation on a case-by-case basis by the central administration of the ACIA”. The certificate must also contain the following declarations:

a complete description of the sending, including the marks of forwarding suitable and the number of the maritime container (if necessary);
all the nests of swallow of the sending were inspected and found of dirtiness on all visible surfaces, of feces, ectoparasites, and feathers. A visual inspection is necessary; “the inspector must make sure that the nests of swallow are clean. He must refuse the entry of the dirty sendings”.

Economic weight

One kilogram of fresh nests is sold with HongKong between 3.000 and 5.000 dollars. Elsewhere, it could exceed the 6.000 dollars. In the years 2000 - 2005, with Hanoi, a dish containing nest of swallow reached the 500.000 dôngs easily. It is necessary to spend from 40 to 50 million dôngs (2 500 and 3.200 dollars) in this country to buy one kilogram of nests. Indonesia as for it set up taxation of the collection and the use of nests, whose price fell from 1.600 to 1.200 euros the kilogram in 2006, because of the fears caused by the Avian flu, but also because of the nests put on the market of the new methods of extensive breeding. HongKong would be the first importer of nests of swallows (nearly one hundred tons per annum).

Extensive breeding

In certain countries, to face the regression of the swallows (of which in Thailand and Indonesia), since a few tens of years, of the special buildings ( bird-house or houses with swallows), sometimes air-conditioned, are built so as to accommodate there hundreds of swallows, whose nests will be collected. The required species is Aerodramus fushipagus .

It also happens that one buys also old houses only to let there the swallows build nests. It is enough says one that the houses are very dark and very wet, as in a cave, so that the swallow settles there, even downtown, in the absence of a wooded or natural environment in the vicinity. The swallow is not driven out and is respected in the majority of the countries. In tropical zone where the biomass in insects is very high, the number of nests produced in a simple not inhabited house can be high.

There exists a Association of the exporting countries of nests of swallow.

Durability, soutenability of the exploitation?

In spite of the efforts of the ornithologists and associations of protection of nature, and in spite of the appearance of buildings of production, the companies which often exploit these nests in an artisanal way, but intensive, put in danger, at least locally, certain populations, of which the salangane in Vietnam.

According to the producers, in the Years 2000, Indonesia would produce approximately 70% of the nests sold in the world (250 and 300 million dollars/an for the country).

The Vietnam would gather of them 2,5 t/an nests, especially with Khanh Hoa and in this place almost only for export.

Guano

In the caves or the “houses of birds”, the Guano collected can also be collected and sold. In the caves of Niah to the Sarawak, only one cave (60 m in height and 250 m of broad, where the archeologists discovered very old traces of human presence) produced with it alone in addition to nests of swallow, a harvest from approximately 1 ton of guano-fossil per day, transported to back of man in the jungle to the road nearest by bags to 50 kg.

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