Swiftlet's Nest and It's Shape

Very few people know that swiftlet's nest have another shape besides the bowl type, this happens
because it is the most common one. So not every store can supply you with another shape besides bowl type.
There are 4 types of swiftlet's nest: bowl, triangle, strips and powder. Some people claim that difference shape means difference in nutrition and difference in taste. They said the bowl type is the most nutritious and delicious.
I never taste them all, so I can't comment on it. But if any of you have, please let me know.

1. Bowl shape

 This is the most usual shape of swiftlet nest.
The bowl shape came because the swiftlet build their nest on the beams in a swiftlet house.






2. Triangle shape

There are only a few triangle shape because the nest is built in the corner of two adjacent walls.
Because of it's shape, the bottom one have the most the highest concentration of swiflet saliva especially
because their triangle shape that help focused their saliva. Higher concentration of saliva also means
higher density. Because of this, they require longer soaking time (six to eight hours) and bird's nest corners are normally separated from whole piece bird's nests and soaked separately.  The bird's nest corners are usually torn into smaller pieces prior to soaking so that they expand more easily. They expand more compared to whole piece bird's nests and are more crispy.

3. Strips shape

Usually happen because the bowl type get damaged during transportation or during harvest. Although they are not attractive, but they have the same taste as the bowl type. Very few people said, they tastes less delicious than the bowl type. Still, only a few one can distinguish it. Personally, I can't taste the difference. You can prepare it the same as the bowl type.


4. Broken shape

Broken shape swiftlet's nest are also a broken of a bowl shape nest. But because it's broken too badly,
There are no more spesific shape. Usually a broken shape swiftlet's nest will be grinding to powder and combined with another product. For example, it can be made to a biscuit or used at a beauty product.

The Significance of Swiftlet's Nest Color

There are many ways to differentiate swiftlet's nest but the most easy and the most basic one is by color.
Different color means different taste and price. There are 3 group of color : yellow, white and red.
The difference in color happenned because of the place where the swiftlet make their nest.


Yellow Swiftlet Bird's Nest

Cultivated from a cave with high hummidity. Swiftlet's farmer will go to a cave and harvest their nest.
It all happen naturally. You can find swiftlet nest in a cave with high air hummidity.  Because of the
environment where there are many dust or mineral, the nest absorbed it and that's why it color became
beige or near brown color.




White Swiftlet Bird's Nest

White nest or usually called Noble Bird's Nest means the swiftlet build it nest in the house. Swiftlet's farmer built a house and set the
house condition like the cave to make the swiftlet build their nest in the house. Of course house is cleaner
than cave and it also means less dust. A cleaner environment make the nest more white because of less
impurities absorbed by the nest.



Red Swiftlet Bird's Nest

Red nest or usually called Blood nest. Before a scientific explanation can be made, people believe the nest
became red is because the mother swiftlet has to built their house several times until their saliva became blood.
As a result, their blood combined with their saliva make the nest red hence it's nickname Blood Nest.

Recently, the scientist found that the nest became red is because of chemical reaction among
oxygen, iron and hummidity which result in rust. Humidity also stimulates the rust to be absorbed into the nest making them reddish brown.
Of course the red nest is safe to consume. In fact, before scientific explanation can be made,
many people rated the red nest as the supreme delicacy of all bird's nest which make it the most
expensive of all.